The Breathings of Your Heart
by live2rite
Summary: Jane and Maura meet one summer as kids. They become best friends and grow up together despite the distance between them. Rizzles.
1. Chapter 1 - Carefree

A.N. Hey guys so this is my first attempt at an R&I fic and it's not a simple one shot either. This story is about how the lives of Jane and Maura might have been different if they had met as kids. I started writing this when I was watching the first season which was about September last year and I hadn't finished watching the season either so I've taken some liberties with times, date, ages etc.

For the sake of this story Jane was born in September 1979 and Maura was born in May 1981. I know that they're older than that in the show but I took some liberties, and basically decided the time scale on Jane's quote to Angela about Thirty years of experience telling her otherwise in season one (when I started writing this).

This story starts when Jane and Maura are ten and nine in the summer of 1990, with Maura having just turned nine a few months earlier and Jane set to turn eleven about two months later (give or take).

On some chapters I may begin them with an explanation as to what year etc just to help keep things clear.

Just for those who would like to know, the title of this story comes from the William Wordsworth quote, "Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart" which I found appropriate for this story.

My Personal Rose is once again my biggest supporter and has helped me iron a great many things out when I was writing this. I am posting this today because it's her birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :) Thanks as always my friend!

Anyways enough with my babbling and on with the story!

From Rite Rose Publishing.

The Breathings of Your Hearts

_Friends and good manners will carry you where money won't go - Margaret Walker._

Chapter One - Carefree

Maura had always been smart for her age. It was something she was used to hearing from everybody. She had never been told anything but that she was smart or clever. She came to think that being smart or clever meant she got some attention, either from her parents or her teachers. She also really loved to read and learn, so as her hunger for knowledge increased, her social skills sadly fell behind. She didn't mind being alone with her own thoughts. It gave her more opportunity to read. As she got older she realised she could remember everything and was later identified as having an eidetic memory. She was seven.

Sons and daughters of her parent's friends were all playing together or learning sports, she was inside reading everything she could get her hands on. During the summer, when she was 9, her parents told her they were going to the country club they often frequented in Maine just outside of Boston. They always had the same cabin and her parents spent the whole vacation either in the bar or in the exclusive member's only spa. The only part of the vacation Maura liked was the time she could spend reading at the adventure park that was surrounded by picnic tables and trees. That park was in the area of the country club that was for (as her mother said) common people. Maura liked to call them normal and when she went there to read nobody would bother her because all the people she know would be back at the country club side.

So that was how Maura escaped that day and walked to the park with a huge backpack full of books she wanted to get started on. She sat on a picnic bench under the shade of a large tree and got to work. Slowly the park filled up and before she knew it, it was lunchtime. She pulled her bag towards her and pulled out the apple she had put in there. She stopped mid crunch at someone clearing their voice behind her. She spun around to see a tall girl about her age stood there. She swallowed the large bite of apple as the girl spoke.

"Hi, sorry but is it ok if me and my family sit on this bench with you? Everywhere else is full." She asked with a crooked smile.

"My family and I," Maura corrected automatically before cringing to herself and continuing, "Sure, I'll just move some of these out of the way." The girl looked amused at Maura's correction and helped her stack her pile of books.

"Biology and ... a beginners guide to neurophysiology?" The girl asked.

"Yes, I find neurophysiology fascinating." Maura told the girl happily. Before the girl had a chance to reply there was a voice from behind them.

"Janey, did you find a table?"

"Yeah Ma, we can share with ... sorry what's your name?" Jane asked and turned around to face Maura again.

"I'm Maura," She smiled, "It's nice to meet you both." She said politely. She might not understand the finer points of social graces but manners were easy for her to learn.

"I'm Jane Rizzoli, this is my Ma. My Pop and brothers are those lot just coming." She pointed out a man who had one boy under each arm, carrying them towards where they were stood. Jane rolled her eyes at the sight.

"Maura, have you had lunch dear?" Mrs Rizzoli asked. She liked girl, she had nice manners.

"No, I've just got an apple today." She smiled, not understanding that Mrs Rizzoli was subtly asking her to join them. Jane, however saw the misunderstanding.

"Ma is asking if you want to share our lunch." Jane clarified.

"Oh," Maura said as this was made clear, "That's ok Mrs Rizzoli, I wouldn't want to intrude." Maura declined.

"Don't be silly dear, we've got more than enough ... you can share with Jane." Jane sat down next to Maura, grinning.

"Don't worry," she whispered as Mrs Rizzoli started unpacking their basket, "If you really don't want any I can eat Ma's cooking all day."

For the next hour or so, the Rizzoli family sat with Maura and ate merrily. Maura stayed quiet, preferring to watch the family than join the conversation. But after Jane had finished her own lunch, she had turned to Maura and asked her what neurophysiology was. Maura had answered enthusiastically until she glanced up and realised that all the Rizzoli's were staring at her. Mr and Mrs Rizzoli and the younger brother Frankie were looking at her with shock. Tommy, the older brother was looking at her with a horrified expression and Jane just looked amused.

"You're like a talking dictionary." Jane smiled. Maura blushed and Jane broke the tension by talking to Maura about her school, wanting to know exactly how the young girl had got to be so smart. Jane's family returned to their conversations and food. Eventually Jane was told by her parents that they had to go and Maura realised, with great surprise that she had been talking to Jane for over four hours.

"Aww come on Ma, we're on vacation! Do we have to have dinner at exactly six?" Jane whined.

"Yes, we're meeting your Aunt, Uncle and cousins tonight. You can talk to Maura again tomorrow." Mrs Rizzoli smiled. Jane and Maura seemed to complement each other. She hoped they would become good friends. Jane sighed grumpily and turned back to Maura.

"Do you want to meet here again tomorrow?" she asked. Maura was surprised, she had never been asked to 'hang out' as the girls at her school put it but she found she genuinely liked Jane so she nodded and smiled. Instantly Jane's face cracked into a wide grin. "Great! See you tomorrow!" Jane jumped up and followed her family, waving as she went.

That evening, Maura sat having dinner with her parents. They were talking about some friend or other and their rebellious daughter. Finally they turned to Maura and asked the obligatory question that they always asked.

"So what did you do today Maura?" her father asked. Maura smiled brightly at this, still thinking about her new friend.

"I met a friend today Daddy. We were talking all afternoon and we're going to talk tomorrow as well."

Professor and Mrs Isles looked at each other in surprise. Their daughter was not a social person, very good manners though and they mattered after all.

"Oh really, what's her name?" he asked.

"Her name is Jane Rizzoli. She's from Boston. Her family are here for the summer." Maura told them excitedly.

"That's nice dear," her mother replied, "Which cabin are they staying in?"

Maura hesitated. She was almost 100% certain that the Rizzoli's wouldn't be in the cabins but in the camp ground. She didn't know that for sure though and she couldn't lie so she replied with. "I'm not sure where she's staying."

The conversation quickly turned to another topic and Maura quietly excused herself. She decided to research Boston in her books so she would be able to chat to Jane about her home town. The next morning, Maura left the cabin early, leaving a note saying she'd had her breakfast and would be back for dinner that evening. When she got to the park, there was no one there yet as it was so early. She took her book out and started reading. At 10 o'clock, she felt someone sit next to her and jumped.

"Hi," Jane laughed at how high Maura had jumped. Maura smiled and returned the greeting as she closed the book. "So what do you want to do today?" Jane asked.

"Well I'm not that great at sports, other than ballet and fencing so do you think you could teach me how to play baseball? You said you knew how yesterday." Maura asked apprehensively, she wasn't sure asking her new friend something she so badly wanted to learn was a wise idea.

"Sure!" Jane grinned and jumped up, "We have a bat, we'll have you hitting for the Red Sox before you know it!" Jane looked at Maura's confused face, "The Red Sox..." she said again, hopefully. She couldn't believe someone didn't know who they were.

"Yes, but 'hitting for' them is something I don't understand." Jane picked up Maura's bag and gestured for her to walk with her as she started to explain the finer points of baseball terminology. A short while later, they came up to three tents in a circle around a camp fire and there were an assortment of toys scattered over the floor.

"Hang on, I'll grab the bat." Jane said and placed Maura's bag carefully next to the smallest tent. She saw Maura looking at the tents and grinned, "The good thing about being the only girl is I get my own room ... or in this case, tent." Maura smiled in return.

"So do you play baseball at school?" she asked.

"No." Jane's grin faded, "The boys won't let me play and call me Roly Poly Rizzoli, especially this one boy, Joey." Jane scowled. Maura didn't think Jane was overweight, sure she had some puppy fat but she had long limbs and was very tall for her age. That chubbiness she did have would likely vanish in a few years.

"I get called Maura the Bore-a," Maura grimaced, "I think they think it's clever."

A few days later, they had continued to meet and play various games but Maura was nervous to tell Jane that her family was wealthy. She had heard Jane call the people who lived in the cabins snobs but when she did tell Jane, she surprised her (as she had been doing since they met).

"Well that makes sense." Jane grinned at her friend.

Maura frowned and tried to figure this out. "Why does that make sense?" she asked.

"Well your manners are perfect and your clothes look expensive and you're always going on about that boarding school you want to go to ... no offense Maura but nobody I know at home would ever go to a boarding school," she paused and then added as an afterthought, "Unless you count military boarding schools and then they've been forced to go!"

"Oh" Maura replied, a little unsure. Jane looked back at her.

"I think it's great that you wanna go to that fancy boarding school," Jane grinned, "It's like you're a Princess or something." She paused and then laughed. "In fact, there's your nickname, I've been thinking you needed one." She smiled and then jumped up from the spot on the grass that they were sitting, "Come on Princess, let's go storm the Rizzoli castle for lunch"

Maura followed her, amused. From anyone else she would have hated having that nickname, but from Jane who she knew meant no offence she loved it. Jane continued to call her Princess for the rest of the vacation.

The next week passed quickly with Maura and Jane spending everyday together. They spent their time talking or Jane trying to teach Maura the rules of certain sports. After nine days Jane told Maura they were going home to Boston the next day and she felt awful. She knew she would miss her friend. Then Jane had a very good idea.

"Let's write to each other." Jane said quickly as they swung on the swings together. Maura looked sideward's at Jane, a big smile on her face.

"Really?" she asked.

"'Course, I think it's be cool to stay in touch." They exchanged addresses and Jane promised she would write when they got home. Maura was due to stay at the resort for another two weeks but Jane's father had to go back to work.

A.N. Ok so there's the first chapter, please let me know what you guys think. I have pretty much finished the whole of this story however I won't be posting chapter two until it _is_ finished. This is not an appeal for reviews guys it's just that I have to have it completely finished and know there's no errors before I continue posting. I posted this today simply because it's part of My Personal Rose's birthday present so please be patient and I promise that the minute I finish there will be an update every few days :)


	2. Chapter 2 - Staying In Touch

A.N. So it took me longer than I thought to finish this story so bad news is it took so long to get to post the next chapter however good news is that the story is a good 50,000 words longer than I thought

Enjoy!

_A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often - just to save it from drying out completely - Pam Brown_

Chapter Two - Staying in touch

The next two weeks were lonely for Maura. She spent all her time reading and trying not to feel so lonely. Lonely was not an emotion that was uncommon to Maura but it was the first time the emotion actually made her heart ache. She knew she was being foolish and ignored it as much as she was able but when they arrived back home to their house on the outskirts of Hartford, she was handed a letter by the maid and her heart soared as she saw the handwritten envelope and the Boston postmark. She excused herself and once out of sight of her parents she ripped open the envelope and began to read:

_Princess,_

_ I hope you got home ok and you didn't spend all the rest of your time reading about bugs or whatever __ When we got home Ma made us do all our homework for the summer but thanks to you I was already done! Tommy was really angry coz I got to go to the batting cages and he had to stay in even though he had less work than me to begin with (serves him right for throwing mud at us that day)._

_I've been thinking about your fancy boarding school. If you really wanna go why don't you send off for the info and give it to your folks? Worst case they say no right? I know you're miserable at that awful school and while you at least don't have the nuns I have (sigh) you shouldn't be miserable doing something you love. At least that's what Ma says and I agree with her there __ Frankie wants me to tell you he says hi. Write me back soon._

_Love Janey_

Maura grinned as she looked over the letter. She could hear Jane's voice in her head as she was reading the letter. Jane was right. Maura already knew how to get the information she needed so she quickly typed up the letter on her typewriter and then sat down to write a letter to Jane. She told her she had taken her advice and sent off for the information. She posted both letters that afternoon. A week later she got a large envelope that had all the information for the school. She was almost giddy as she looked at the courses. It was everything she wanted. That evening she approached her parents with the idea of her going to this school. Her mother was excited at the thought of spending more time with her DAR friends and her father commented on "What an excellent institution" the school looked. He promised to call the next day to enquire about admission. The next morning her father rang the school and as Maura sat outside his office, the maid gave her a letter from Jane. She ripped the envelope open and a letter and picture fell onto her lap. She picked up the picture and grinned. It was the day that Jane had coaxed her onto a swing for the first time. Jane's mother had heard the laughter coming from both Jane and Maura and had wandered over to take a picture. Jane had stopped the swing and wrapped her arms around Maura so she could stick her head onto her shoulder for her Ma to take the picture. Maura was laughing and Jane had her tongue sticking out at the camera. Maura carefully placed the picture in her pocket and turned back to the letter.

_Princess,_

_ Sorry about not writing back right away but I was waiting for Ma to get this picture developed again coz I wanted you to have a copy __ I'm really glad you decided to send off for that school info. I'll bet you'll be whatever you wanna be when you grow up. By the way, what _do_ you wannabe when you grow up?_

The letter continued to described the home run she had hit off Tommy the other day and how he had complained loudly at dinner, causing her father to give her a high five and her mother to complain about her not being ladylike. She signed the letter _love Janey_ again. Just as she had finished reading, her father opened his study door and saw Maura sitting there. He smiled down at her. Her father occasionally showed a sentimental side.

"Term starts on September the 3rd," he told her, "We fly next Tuesday to give us time to get your uniform and such."

"Thank you Daddy!" Maura rushed forward and hugged him tightly before running back to her room and writing a reply to Jane, telling her of the address in England where her new school was so she could continue to write.

A few days later, a package arrived for Maura with another letter.

_Princess,_

_ Congrats! I hope you don't forget to write! Here's a little care package from the Rizzoli's._

Inside the box there were writing supplies with princess tiara's in the top corner, a baseball hat with the Red Sox on the front, a large t-shirt with Boston Girls Hockey on it and finally a baseball jersey for the Red Sox with Princess written on the back. Inside was another note.

_My parents are really happy for you and helped me get all this stuff sorted for you. By the way you never did tell me what you wanted to do when you grow up?_

_Love Janey_

Maura pulled a piece of her new writing paper to her, already deciding this paper would be the paper she always wrote to Jane on.

_Janey,_

_ Thank you _so_ much for the care package, I'll wear them with pride. Is that t-shirt from your team at school? I haven't settled on a career yet. I was thinking about being a doctor but, as you know, I don't really get along well with people, most people get scared off with my encyclopaedia ways. What about you? Don't forget that I'll be at the new school in just over a week but as of Tuesday I won't be at home anymore._

_Love Maura_

The next week passed in a blur for Maura. She had packed all her belongings (including her presents from the Rizzoli's and Jane's letters) and she and her parents flew to England. They stayed in a hotel in London until the Friday and then made their way along the motorways and then quiet country roads until they reached the Austen Academy. They met with the headmistress who showed them the school and then the dorm Maura would be sharing with another girl. The room was spacious with a modesty wall through the middle to give each occupant some form of privacy. Each girl had a wardrobe, a bed, a desk and a bedside table. They were allowed their own bedding and on weekends they were allowed to wear their own clothes. After the tour (which took place on a Saturday) they returned to the local bed and breakfast where they were staying.

The next day they took Maura and all her belongings and dropped her off. As they said goodbye, Maura couldn't help but realise that she had felt worse saying goodbye to Jane that summer than she did to her parents now. She set up her side of the room and went to bed early. Over the next few days she settled into her new school and met her classmates and teachers. Her dorm mate was also American but she was awful. She was a typical blond spiteful girl who teased everyone she didn't like. This included Maura but they came to an unspoken understanding that they wouldn't interact at all in their room. Maura spent most of the time in the library, requesting extra work from her favourite teachers or practicing her ballet, fencing or her piano.

That first Saturday Maura got a letter from Jane. She headed back to her room and pulled out the little wooden box she kept the letters and Jane's picture in. She had taped the picture to the top of the box and grinned as she saw it before pulling out Jane's new letter.

_Princess,_

_ So tell me all about it! What's it like? Is England cool? Do you have any friends yet? Are they all as rich as you? (just kidding __) I really hope you've settled in by the time this reaches you __ In answer to what you asked me in your last letter, I wanna be a cop! Well I actually wanna be a homicide detective. I wanna be the first woman they promote to that rank! Tommy thinks I'm dreaming, he says that they'll never let women do that sorta job but I hope he's wrong! Ma says she won't let me be a cop anyway, that it's too dangerous for women, that I should stay home with a husband and have babies! But I'm gonna be a cop! __ I think you'd make a great doctor! Doctor Maura Isles has a nice ring to it. Maybe there's a job that allows you to be a doctor without interaction with patients? I dunno. It's my 10th birthday on the 13th of September. Ma says I can pick where we eat. I think I'm gonna ask about Benvinuti's. It's a really nice Italian restaurant near where we live ... Well it's nothing on Nonna Rizzoli's Italian food but it's nice for a restaurant. Anyways I gotta go so I can mail this on the way to school._

_Love Janey_

Maura grinned but then realised she had nothing to send her friend for her birthday. She wrote out a letter as usual and then ran to the school shop, buying a simple birthday card.

_Janey,_

_ England is such a fantastic place. I've been a lot of wonderful places with my parents but the history in places like this humbles me. Our first day in London was exhausting. The hotel we were staying in was as luxurious as all the hotels my Mother chooses are but there is something about the English accent that makes every so much more aristocratic. We left the hotel first thing in the morning and our driver had us at the bed and breakfast we were staying at fairly quickly. Mother wasn't too happy at the idea, she believes bed and breakfast's aren't for 'people with class' but I believe she liked this one as it served the most amazing tea with scones I've ever tasted with homemade strawberry jam with the strawberries themselves coming from their own garden!_

_We then headed to the campus and the head teacher showed us around. It is an amazing location. You can see the sea from several points and my room has its own view of the sea itself. The building is beautiful and is dated to the early 1800's. There are extensive grounds with tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool, as well as the usual sports fields (only there's several soccer fields instead of the usual American Football field we're used to, everyone appears obsessed with soccer here). _

_I share my dorm with a very trying, incorrigible girl called Emily. I do not believe we like each other much but we appear to have come to an unspoken understanding to leave each other to our own devices._

_My classes are everything I dreamed and I have already spent a lot of time in the library. It's fully stocked with every subject you could hope to study and I can't wait to make a sizable dent in the books I have read from there._

_I hope you have a very pleasant birthday and that your Mother let's you go to the restaurant you chose._

_Love Maura_

At the bottom of the card she wrote, _'Sorry I can't send you a present but here's a quote I think will help keep your mother and brother's voices out of your mind. "Believe you can and you're half way there - Theodore Roosevelt" I believe you can!_

Satisfied Maura put the letter and the card in the envelope and sent it off.


	3. Chapter 3 - Comfort

A.N. Ok guys, here's the deal! I will be posting every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with this story however I may sometimes also post on Saturdays (today is one of those Saturdays ;) due to the fact it took soooo long to update from the first chapter to the second.

_I've learned that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance - Unknown_

Chapter Three - Comfort

Over the next few years, the letters between Jane and Maura continued. On Jane's birthday, Maura always sent a quote to her friend and on Maura's birthday a beautifully folded origami figure, different in colour and shape every time arrived from Jane. Maura kept them carefully in her little wooden box that she kept on her bedside table. Jane told Maura of every game she played on her hockey team and of her family and friends she had at school and when she was 14 of the first boy she went out with.

Maura told Jane of all her classes and about her parents and how let down and such a disappointment she felt they thought of her. She also told Jane how she didn't really have any friends but most of the girls at least talked to her except for her roommate, Emily. She always seemed to try to find ways to make her life miserable.

The bust up with her roommate happened when she was 15. She just had her birthday the week before (and received a giraffe on orange paper from Jane). It was mid may and the weather was particularly warm. As she entered her dorm with her lab partner so they couldn't start work on their report, she froze at the laughter coming from her side of the room and the sight of the open wooden box. The picture of her and Jane had been removed and was carelessly lying on the floor and Emily was sat on Maura's bed with her closest friend, reading all Jane's letters.

"... I can't believe this!" Emily's voice said as she hadn't noticed Maura enter. "I always thought Maura was weird and she's a dyke too!" Emily and her friend burst out laughing.

"Have you read this one?" Claire, her friend, asked. "Her girlfriend is talking about Maura's parents. Did you know she adopted? Apparently they regret adopting her."

"Well wouldn't you? She's such a dud!" Emily laughed and picked up one of the origami figures, "And these are such loser gifts, who would keep these crappy little things?"

Maura had finally had enough of this talk. "Would you put my things down and get out of this part of the room now!" she said with a quiet fury. Emily and Claire looked up in shock. Claire jumped up but Emily smirked dangerously.

"But I haven't finished reading," she giggled and started reading from the letter in her hand, "Princess_, Happy Birthday! I hope you actually celebrate this year and no, reading this letter doesn't count!_ Who would call _you_ a princess? This _Janey_ really doesn't understand the kind of class that takes." Emily was clearly enjoying watching Maura struggle to keep a tight control over her anger. At this point, Maura's lab partner, Lorelai spoke up.

"Come on Emily, enough's enough. Just leave before this gets out of hand." She tried to reason.

"No," Emily said, she looked at the letter in her hand, "I think this room needs a confetti decoration." and with that she started to tear Jane's most recent letter. With a furious shriek, Maura lunged at Emily, hitting her hand across the girl's face. Emily dropped the letter in shock and stood, facing Maura. As she did she noticed the picture and swooped to pick it up, holding it in her hand.

"You'll pay for that bitch!" She yelled and crumpled the picture in her hand.

"No!" Maura yelled. Emily threw the picture on the floor and Emily and Claire left. Maura collapsed to her knees and shakily reached for the picture. She knew it wasn't ruined completely but the creases now marred the picture she had looked after for so long. Lorelai approached her uncertainly, watching as the tears fell from her eyes.

"I'm sorry Maura, that was really unkind." She reached forward, "Are you ok?"

Maura shook her head and whispered, "Please can you leave, I need to ... gather my thoughts."

"Of course, we'll finish this assignment later." With that, Lorelai left. Maura gently straightened the picture and grabbed her heaviest textbook from the shelf and placed the picture under it. That would help straighten the picture. She then went about carefully picking up her letter and refolding them before placing them back in order with her origami figures. Maura knew that it wasn't logical that her best (and probably only real) friend was the girl she had met in person for all of two weeks when she was 9 but she really felt like she knew Jane. When Emily and Claire had made the assumption that her only friend was only her friend because they were dating had hurt, but she refused to let Emily get to her. She pulled forward the paper she used to write to Jane and wrote out a letter, describing in Maura's usual detail, the events that had taken place.

_Janey,_

_ I'm really angry and upset right now. Emily decided to increase her torment of me and has invaded my privacy. She read all your letters Jane and then decided that she and a friend would say awful things about you and some of it made a little sense, I mean it is a little illogical that we're still such close friends after only meeting that one time but I felt and still feel really angry about it and then she crumpled up our picture so it will never be the same. She was awful about your origami figures too and they are wonderfully intricate, I really treasure them._

_I want to get back at her somehow but I know that revenge is never the answer but Jane I hit her ... I've never hit anyone in my life!_

_I'm sorry to burden you with this but you _are_ my best friend._

_Love Maura_

As she finished writing, she realised she was crying as a tear hit the paper. She quickly addressed the letter, hid the precious box under the bed behind a pile of books and left to post the letter. She had just handed the letter to the office when the head mistresses office door opened and Mrs Reckless walked out with Claire and Emily behind her. Emily was making huge heaving sobs.

"Miss Isles!" Came Mrs Reckless' voice, she sounded stern. "A word please."

Maura followed her into her office, catching the smirk on Emily's face before the door was closed. As Mrs Reckless sat down and pointed to the chair opposite, her stern features warmed a little.

"Ok Maura, tell me what happened?" she asked, gently.

"I would prefer not to discuss what Emily said, Mrs Reckless." Maura said, delicately.

Mrs Reckless chuckled, "I'm sorry Maura but this is one of those times where you have to tell me. Emily is accusing you of hitting her without provocation. As you know, violence is not permitted here."

Maura hesitated. She didn't want to discuss the hurtful things Emily and Claire had said but she equally did not want to be isolated. She settled on a brief description. "I got back to our dorm before and Emily and Claire were reading my personal letters from my best friend. They were making aspersions to my character and when they saw I was there Emily decided she was going to continue to read but aloud. She also ruined a very dear picture. I'm sorry but I did lose my temper, I'm sorry if I've disappointed you."

Mrs Reckless looked very serious for a few moments and then she finally spoke. "If I'm being honest with you Maura, I find it amazing that you two made it six years without coming to blows. Your teachers tell me about the snide remarks she makes about you but apparently most of the time you either don't realise she's being insulting or don't realise it's about you which I'm grateful for because you're a lovely young woman. However I can't allow what either of you have done to go unpunished. You will be required to help Mrs Hughen in the library for the rest of term." Mrs Reckless smiled at Maura and Maura realised that this wasn't actually a punishment as she knew the other girls would view it. She loved spending her time in the library and she was just given the opportunity to spend more time there. Mrs Hughen was a fountain of knowledge who loved to indulge Maura's obsession to get as much information on every topic possible. "Also I'll have Emily swap dorms with ..." she looked down the long list in front of her, "Lorelai? She's your lab partner, isn't she?" Mrs Reckless asked, Maura nodded. "Excellent! If you could please send Emily back in and find Lorelai for me."

Maura stood and walked to the door, pausing with her hand on the door knob. She turned to face the kindly headteacher. "Thank you." She said simply, before smiling and heading from the room.

It only took a few hours for everyone to know about what happened between Maura and Emily. Emily spread rumours about Maura that she ignored and until the summer, Emily called Maura 'Princess', whenever there wasn't a teacher present to gales of laughter from Emily's group of friends. It didn't take long for Jane's reply to reach Maura.

_Princess,_

_ I'm so so so sorry that you have to put up with that BITCH! You should have done more than hit her! You should have beat her into a bloody pulp. How dare she read your private letters? I don't care what she thinks, you're my best friend Princess no matter how 'illogical' it is. Let's face it I tell you stuff I don't tell anyone, maybe it's the safety of knowing you can't tell anyone I know but I reckon I'd tell you anyway so don't listen to her. I'll bet $10 that she doesn't have someone she can confide in like that! I think we should meet up this summer. Do you think you could convince your folks to head back to the country club? I think I could convince Ma. She's going on about how I only have two years of school left. Mu guidance counsellor is telling me I should apply to BCU but even I'd I got in I wouldn't be able to afford it and what's the point anyways when a 3 year community college degree will get me into the academy? Have you decided where you wanna go to college? I know you were considering applying to Oxford._

_Anyway, remember that Emily is just a bitch and you're worth 1000 of her __ keep smiling and maybe see you this summer?_

_Love Janey_

Maura smiled at Janie's letter and she thought it would be nice to see Jane in person as well. She looked at her watch. It was 6pm on a Saturday meaning it would be 1pm back home and potentially her father might be there. She went to the office to make the call.

She didn't even have to ask twice, her father loved the country club and immediately agreed. Maura practically skipped back to her room and wrote a reply to Jane telling her what she would be at the country club.

_Janey,_

_ Firstly, although I sincerely appreciate you standing up for me, please do so without the vulgar language, you have an outstanding talent for expressing yourself and for understanding. Don't sell yourself short! Anyway, I've talked with my father and we are going to the country club this summer! We'll be there a few days after I finish school in the middle of July. I really hope you can make it too._

_Things are busy here, we're studying for our end of year exams and I'm taking a few more than is recommended but there is so much to learn that I feel satisfied doing just that. By the way how did your mathematics exam go? I hope the text book I recommended was useful and the tips I sent in my last letter help._

_I started learning Italian this term (I thought that would amuse you)._

_I must go now, my studying has been neglected today as we had a victory party for the football team. They won the school league and Lorelai is currently a substitute however she scored the winning goal in the final and insisted that everyone came to the party. I really find she is a much easier roommate than Emily was._

_I hope you're family is doing well._

_Love Maura_

In the final week, she received a letter from Jane. All it said was:

_Princess,_

_ See you soon!_

_Love Janey_

Inside the envelope was a copy of the picture that Emily had ruined.


	4. Chapter 4 - I Missed You

A.N. Sorry about the lack of posting this yesterday, RL will get in the way. Anyways here's the first big reunion ;)

Enjoy!

_Friendship isn't about whom you have known the longest ... it's about who came and never left your side - Unknown_

Chapter Four - I Missed You

Term finished on Friday the 12th of July and by the Sunday evening they were checking in at the country club. Maura had no idea when Jane was arriving thanks to her cryptic note so that Monday morning she grabbed a bag that held some of her summer homework and headed to the park. She sat down at the old picnic bench and smiled at the sight around her. It was all pretty much the same. The trees were taller and some of the bushes were a lot bigger but it still looked the same. She got out her maths homework and set to work. She hadn't been there for longer than an hour until she was startled out of her concentration by a voice behind her.

"Hiya Princess!"

Maura spun around to see a tall lanky girl with long dark brown hair and the deep brown eyes she remembered. Jane was wearing a Red Sox t-shirt and blue jeans complete with red converse on her feet and a crooked smile, her hands shoved in her jeans pocket.

"Jane!" Maura exclaimed. She jumped from her seat and threw herself into her friend's arms. Jane had to step back to steady them and then wrapped her own arms around Maura.

"I take it you're glad to see me." Jane grinned as she hugged her friend back. Maura pulled back, grinning widely.

"I'm really pleased to see you," Maura said happily, "When did you get here?" she asked as they walked to the table.

"Just last night but it was so late I didn't want to come to your cabin, besides remember what your mother said last time?" Maura's smile faded, her mother had loudly asked her father which maid Jane had belonged to.

"Yes I'm afraid mother hasn't really changed much." she frowned.

"I don't think mothers ever do," Jane rolled her eyes. "I have to tell you what she did the other day." Jane launched into a story that had her kissing her boyfriend in his car just down the block when her mother appeared and had knocked loudly on the door to invite him in for gnocchi, completely interrupting the moment. "I mean she didn't even realise she was doing anything wrong! She was all 'I was just being polite Jane'" Jane finished putting on her mother's voice. Maura noticed that Jane's voice was slightly deeper than it had been but it was still a very feminine and very pleasant. She smiled, it was nice to talk to Jane again in person. Maura then told her about the dance they had with the neighbouring boys boarding school where she had kissed a boy called John and she had diagnosed his bad breath. Jane burst out laughing and when she had control of her laughter she said.

"Why didn't you just kick him in the balls Maur?" she laughed. Maura looked confused.

"Why would I want to do that?" she asked, "That would be very painful, wouldn't it?"

"And telling him he has bad breath after making out with him isn't a blow to his ego?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

Maura smiled sheepishly as she realised what she had done. "Ok I didn't realise that." she admitted.

"That's why you have me! To remind you _not_ to diagnose your dates," Jane smirked, "Come on, Ma wants to see you and I promised I would find you for lunch." Jane stood and helped Maura pile her stuff back into her bag.

"Before we do," Maura pulled out a package, "I got you a gift." she passed it to Jane who raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't have to do that ... I like the quotes."

"I know but I wanted to get you this and I like my origami figures too."

Jane opened the parcel and two shirts fell out. One was red with a black collar, the other was white, both had the name Beckham on the back. Jane's jaw dropped.

"These are the new soccer shirts!" she exclaimed.

"You do state quite a lot that you like soccer when you write and emphatically stated that Beckham was your favourite ..." Maura started to ramble but Jane stopped her with a tight hug.

"Thanks." she whispered.

"You're welcome." Maura smiled. When Jane pulled away she grabbed the Manchester United shirt and pulled it on over her t-shirt.

"What do you think?" she grinned.

Maura laughed. "Red is your colour."

"Come on, let's go find Ma." Jane grabbed Maura's hand and pulled her with her towards the tents. When they arrived, they were chatting about college and Jane instantly stopped this topic of conversation in case her mother heard. "Hey Ma!" Jane yelled

"I'm just here Jane, there's no need to yell!" Mrs Rizzoli yelled back with her back to her daughter. Jane rolled her eyes.

"Look who I found Ma" Jane said and Mrs Rizzoli spun around with a grin.

"Maura!" she quickly walked to Maura and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Ma, don't strangle her!" Jane smirked at Maura form behind her mother's back.

"Maura dear, it's so good to see you." Mrs Rizzoli said as she pulled away a little and grasped her shoulders. "Let me get a look at you." Maura stood still for the inspection. Mrs Rizzoli nodded, satisfied that Maura wasn't in any way harmed.

"So how is your school? Jane tells me you're at a boarding school in England, that must be exciting."

"Yes, Mrs Rizzoli," Maura replied. "It's in Cornwall in the south of the country. The school has a little private beach and we have water sports as well. I love it there."

"Do you think you'll live over there?" Mrs Rizzoli asked.

Maura smiled. "No, I think I'll be coming home after I finish there but I'll more than likely head back on vacation and such."

"Does that mean you've decided where you want to go to college? Can you give my daughter a push, she's still insistent she's going to join the police!"

"If that's what she wants then I doubt I'll be able to change her mind." Maura winked at Jane.

Lunch was a fun time for Maura. She sat with Jane and watched her laugh with Frankie and argue with Tommy.

"Hey Maura, we're having a campfire tonight with smores and stuff, do you think you can join? Maybe have a sleepover?" Jane asked.

"I'll have to ask my parents but I'll see what I can do." Maura smiled. They sat under a large oak tree for the rest of the afternoon, just talking and laughing.

"I think I know what I want to do when we're adults." Maura told Jane as she sat with her back to the tree trunk.

"Yeah?" Jane replied, she was lying on her back with her head near Maura's feet and her legs beside the tree, looking up at the leaves until Maura spoke and her gaze shifted to her friends.

"I want to be a medical examiner," she told Jane, watching her face. Jane shimmied herself up onto her elbows so she could look at Maura's face easier.

"For real!" she asked.

"Yes, a girl at school tragically lost her mother last year. She told my roommate that the reason they were able to find out what happened was because the coroner was able to figure it out. I told you I'd like to be a doctor and I'm still fascinated by how the human body works but other than a few people I really don't understand social situations enough to be able to have a good enough bedside manner ... unless it's one of the society dinners or such. The rules are so clear there, not that the rules being clear make it any more comfortable."

Jane nodded. "I can see you being an M.E, except for the awful scrubs," she said, "You have to be smart and logical ..." Jane's sentence fell off and she suddenly looked thoughtful and then excited, "Maybe you could work in Boston! I could be the homicide detective and you the M.E. that could be cool." Jane smiled and lay back down with her hand behind her head.

Maura grinned at this, Jane thought they'd still be friends as adults. She really hoped so. That afternoon Maura went to ask her parents if she could stay with the Rizzoli's that night. They agreed quite happily as they had been invited for drinks with friends. Trying not to look too happy, Maura grabbed her things and made her way back to the Rizzoli's.

"Maura!" Mrs Rizzoli smiled, "You're just in time for dinner." She was handed a steaming plate of tomato pasta.

"Thank you Mrs Rizzoli." Maura replied and sat next to Jane. The camp out was fun with campfire songs (that Maura had no idea of the words) and everyone trying to do scary stories, all of which had everyone laughing rather than scared. They had smores and roasted marshmallows before Mrs Rizzoli made them all head to bed. Maura and Jane crawled into Jane's tiny tent and Maura turned her back to allow Jane to quickly change as she pulled out her pyjama's.

"You can't wear those," Jane grinned at the thin silk in her hands, "You'll freeze." She hunted through her bag and pulled out a t-shirt with "property of BPD" on it and a pairs of shorts with the same Boston Girls Hockey logo on them as the t-shirt she had been given all those years ago but her focus remained on the t-shirt and she looked questioningly at Jane. She smiled sheepishly in return, "Frankie got me the t-shirt as a joke" she shrugged and she didn't even give Maura the chance to protest before grabbing a bottle of water, her tooth brush and paste. "You change and I'll brush my teeth." She grinned and crawled out of the tent. Maura pulled on the clothes that Jane had given her and folded her own. She then waited for Jane and when the other girl crawled back into the tent, she passed Maura the rest of the bottle of water and the toothpaste.

When Maura crawled back in she saw that Jane had sorted the sleeping bags into more of a quilt in the small space with the airbed beneath her. Jane was reading a comic so Maura slid next to her and pulled the quilt up to her chin. After a few seconds, Jane spoke, humour lacing her words. "How cold are your feet right now?" She held out a pair of thick woollen socks that Maura happily pulled on. Jane turned off the light and they both lay there in silence.

"I'm really glad you asked to share my table that summer." Maura admitted quietly.

"I'm really glad I did too." Jane smiled and twisted her head to glance at Maura. Their eyes could now just make each other out in the dark and they could see the smiles on each other's faces.

"Goodnight Jane."

"'Night Maura."

The next morning, Maura woke slowly. This was different for her. She normally woke up pretty quickly, ready to face the world but she was so warm and comfortable despite the hard ground beneath her. The weight around her waist was calming and the heat from...

She opened her eyes to realise that, somehow during the night, she had moved closer to Jane and the tall girl had rolled towards her and wrapped her arm around her waist to pull her closer. For a few seconds Maura was confused but she realised that she didn't care what others would think if they knew about this. She had the greatest friend in Jane and she got comfort from being around her in anyway. She lay quietly, allowing Jane's steady breathing to fill her mind. After a few minutes Jane tightened her hold on her waist and let go as she stretched.

"Morning Princess." Jane grinned as she opened her eyes and saw Maura was awake.

Maura couldn't help but smile back. "Good morning Jane." They lay in comfortable silence for a few more minutes and then Maura had to ask a question that had been on her mind. "Why do you sign your letters to me as 'Janey' and let me call you that but you won't let anyone else?" She asked, turning on her side to face Jane. Just last night Jane had snapped at her mother when she had asked Jane to pass the forks, using the pet name Janey. Jane paused before she answered with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Well when my parents call me that it's like they still see a five year old kid that still needs to be protected and my brothers use it as an insult, as if it highlights the fact I'm a _girl_ and weaker than they are because they're boys but you say Janey like it's a ... I don't know like affectionate. I guess like how I say Princess. I'm not calling you that like I guess some people might to say you've got more money than the Queen but because that's how you should be treated, ya know?" Jane finished her out loud thought with a question and Maura smiled.

"Thanks Janey."

"You're welcome, Princess!" Jane smiled back and then sat up, "Come on, I reckon Ma will be up now and it'll be breakfast time."

They both crawled out of the tent to find Mrs Rizzoli just dishing out eggs and bacon to the Rizzoli males. She turned to smile at them.

"Good morning girls, breakfast is ready so grab a plate ... Maura dear are you wearing Jane's clothes?" Mrs Rizzoli asked with a confused but amused smile. Maura blushed and Jane beat her to the explanation.

"She brought silk PJ's Ma, she would have frozen."

"You're right, excellent idea Janey."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Don't call me Janey!" she sighed and surreptitiously winked at Maura.

The rest of the summer passed quickly with many sleepovers at camp Rizzoli and Jane happily teaching Maura some more baseball, hockey and basketball. Frankie would often happily join them but Tommy preferred to wander the club, seeing what trouble he could get into. After the last evening meal they shared, Jane walked Maura back to her cabin. The Rizzoli's were leaving first thing in the morning so Maura wasn't staying that night. Maura had tried to give Jane back her t-shirt and shorts but Jane had told her she looked better in them anyway.

"I can't believe it's been ten days," Jane sighed and she shoved her hands deeper into her pockets, "I wish we could stay longer." Jane rolled back onto her heels and then forward again.

"I agree," Maura nodded, "But I think your father needs to get back to work."

"Yeah," Jane agreed reluctantly, "Doesn't mean I have to like it though."

Maura reached out and pulled Jane's hand from her pocket so she could entwine their fingers. She squeezed the hand that was now in hers. "We will see each other again, hopefully it won't be as long as six years until the next time." She smiled softly and Jane returned the gesture.

"Definitely, in fact why don't you ask if you can spend next summer with us? You can check out BCU when you're there!" she grinned widely at the idea.

"I'll talk to father about it, I'm sure he won't mind. They like to take a tour of French vineyards during summer months and I'm just something else they have to take care of so going straight from school to you and back would be a blessing, especially for my mother." Maura smiled, she knew the reality of her home life and didn't hide it from Jane as she had told her all this before. Jane grimaced slightly at this. She knew Maura was only stating facts as she saw them but it pained her to know that this was her friend's reality.

"Make sure you do and I'll tell Ma, she'll be ecstatic with the idea of someone else to spoil." They both grinned at that thought, "Well, I'll see you soon, don't forget to write as soon as you can." Jane said and she reached forward and pulled her friend into a tight hug. Maura returned the embrace and they stood there for a few minutes until Jane spoke again. "I'll miss you Princess."

"I'll miss you too Janey."

A.N. I hope you liked that More will be up tomorrow (RL pending lol) I could use good news today guys so any reviews that you can leave good cheer me up immensely


	5. Chapter 5 - Boston Calling

A.N. You guys are awesome thanks for all your lovely reviews, they really made my day.

I don't normally comment on political stuff on FF (let's leave that for Tumblr ;)) but I feel the need to say YAY OBAMA! And I'm not even American!

Enough with that and on with the story

_I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I'm not - Kurt Cobain_

Chapter Five - Boston Calling

The rest of the summer went by slowly for Maura, despite the fact they flew to Turkey then France, by the time she returned home she had completed all her homework and had even read almost all of the books she had taken to read. She had written a long letter to Jane whilst she was away, talking to Jane about the research she was doing into becoming an M.E. and how fascinating the courses looked, she also described how quiet it was at the club now Jane was gone. By the time she arrived home there was a letter from Jane waiting for her.

_Princess,_

_ Those courses sound like really hard work! But I know you'll ace them __ Have you told your folks that's what you want to do? From what you've told me they'll think you're wasting your talents doing that. Personally I think everyone should be able to do whatever makes them happy. Will it make you happy? I hope so, Ma's still complaining about me wanting to be a cop. _

_I have some awesome news! Coach told me I'm the new captain of the field hockey team! I always wanted this and I'm only a junior! Coach told me I've proven myself over and over again and she wants the best leading the team. I'm not sure I'm the best but I'll do my best to make sure her faith in me is in the right place._

_I've also sent you some pictures of this summer, I hope you like them. I told Ma about you and me wanting you to stay next summer and she agreed it would be great to have you for as long as you want to stay. I gotta go, Frankie wants help to practice for getting on the basketball team. I'll write again soon._

_Love Janey_

Maura grinned as she opened the large envelope again to find a few pictures in there. The first was a picture of Jane and Maura sitting side by side at their favourite tree, both laughing at something the other was saying. The second was a more posed picture after dinner one evening that had Mrs Rizzoli, Jane, Maura and Frankie all squashed on a bench, all smiling at the camera. They all had their arms around each other. The third one was just of Jane and Maura again, Jane had thrown her right arm over Maura's right shoulder and put her head on Maura's left shoulder with her left arm gripping her right elbow. Jane was being silly and sticking her tongue out at the camera and Maura was laughing at her behaviour. The final picture shocked her a little. It was of Jane and Maura and they were both asleep. Jane's left arm was resting on her pillow and she was turned on her left side facing Maura. Maura was the exact mirror image as she slept, their hands were almost touching in the middle. Mrs Rizzoli must have taken this picture, she thought to herself. She opened her little wooden box and placed the new letter inside. She also replaced the picture of the two of them as kids with the picture of them sleeping. She went out that day and got a nice frame that holds the other four pictures. She couldn't wait to put up her frame at school. She wrote a reply to Jane, telling her of the subject list she had received from her school and that she had been practicing her swing at the batting cages since she had returned home, knowing that Jane would get a kick out of that. The reply she received had a letter and a package attached. She ripped open the package and a t-shirt fell out. It had Boston Girls Field Hockey on the front and on the back it had 'Best Friend of the Captain' just above 'Rizzoli'. She grinned and opened the letter.

_Princess,_

_ I hope you like the t-shirt. Ma went a little nuts, and while only family has them only Tommy refused to wear his. I figure you need something not silk to wear __ (I'm teasing you Maur)_

_Have you asked your parents about next summer yet? I really wanna show you around here and maybe introduce you to some of my friends and I'll take you to the BCU campus ;)_

_Talk to you soon, have a good flight back to school!_

_Love Janey_

She pulled forward a sheet of her writing paper and wrote back to Jane.

_Janey,_

_ I have spoken with my father and he has agreed that I can go to Boston next summer! Assuming I keep my grades up in the meantime of course. I will be heading to London on my half term vacation and will buy new clothes in honour of the visit! Mother has even discussed the possibility of her meeting me there. Shopping and fashion seems to be one of the only things we have in common however when we are doing those things together we seem to have a genuine connection._

_I'm entering a fencing competition this term, my coach is impressed with how far I've come and he believes I have a chance to win. As much as I love fencing I've come to what I believe I've gone as far as I want to with the sport. I think this competition might be my last. I decided to join the school's swim team, although I'm not going to be fond of the chlorine... _

_I hope swimming is deemed an actual sport by yourself ;)_

_I must go, please write again soon._

_love Maura._

Before she knew it Christmas had arrived and Maura was spending a lonely Christmas at school. There were a few students, mostly international like her that spent the holiday season at school. They had a program that allowed for this and Maura preferred to spend her time at school rather than travel back to spend Christmas with her parents who went skiing anyway. It was Christmas Eve when there was a knock on her dorm door.

"Come in?" She called. A nervous looking 7th year poked her head round the door.

"Maura Isles?" She asked.

"Yes that's me." She replied and stood up from her bed where she had been reading.

"The office sent me with this for you." She walked to meet Maura, placing a package in her arms. She glanced at the photo frame on her desktop and then smiled up at Maura. "Nice family." She grinned and walked quietly out. Maura looked at the photo frame herself and smiled as she placed the package on her desk next to the picture. She glanced at the postmark and grinned in surprise to see the Boston post mark. She ripped open the paper to find a small box wrapped up in another t-shirt. She opened the t-shirt to have a look. It was a Boston girls Field Hockey Championship t-shirt. She grabbed the letter eagerly.

_Princess,_

_ We did it! We won! I am the youngest captain to lead the girl's team to a win! I'm so proud of the whole team, they worked so hard. I've sent you a photo of us as Champions._

Maura pulled out the picture to see a group of girls in their hockey uniforms, all covered in mud, smiling at the camera. Jane was in the middle holding a huge trophy, a smudge of mud over her left cheek. She returned to the letter.

_I've sent you a t-shirt in celebration to add to your small collection of normal clothes (that means clothes that wouldn't cost my dad a month's pay ;)) Wear it with pride! Anyway by the time this reaches you it's probably gonna be Christmas so Merry Christmas! I've put a card in too and a present (I know! We don't do Christmas presents but I saw this and couldn't help it __)_

_Hope you guys at least have a Christmas dinner over there and don't work too hard! Don't deny it! I know what you're like._

_Merry Christmas! Love Janey_

Maura grinned as she opened the two cards that were also in the envelope. One was from Jane and the other from the Rizzoli's as a family. Maura put them up on her desk next to the photo frame and stood the picture of Jane's hockey team against the frame. She then turned to the box and opened it. Inside was a silver bracelet. It was a sturdy but delicate chain that had two charms on it. The first was a tiny baseball bat and the second was a little book that actually opened. On the cover were the words 'bookworm' and inside there was a little a little worm. A wide grin broke over her face as she placed it carefully onto her wrist and she was walking towards the office before she knew it. She asked to use the phone and quickly dialled the number Jane had given her the last summer and waited whilst the line dialled.

"Hello?" Came the voice of Mrs Rizzoli.

"Hello Mrs Rizzoli. It's Maura." She smiled as Mrs Rizzoli started enthusiastically wishing her a good Christmas and telling Frank (who must have been sat next to her) that it was Maura.

"How are you doing? Jane tells me you're spending the Christmas at your school all alone. You shouldn't spend Christmas alone dear." Mrs Rizzoli admonished kindly.

"Well my parents like to spend their Christmas holidays skiing and I would have been more or less alone there anyway as I would have had to spend the time with the other teens. At least here I have the fantastic library."

There was a pause.

"You could have spent the holiday with us Maura, we'd have loved to have you." Mrs Rizzoli told her.

"I ... that's ..." Maura stuttered uncharacteristically. She took a deep breath, her grin coming across in her voice, "I would have liked that Mrs Rizzoli, maybe next year?"

"We'll talk about it this summer." Mrs Rizzoli promised. "So I take it you'd like to speak to Janey?"

"Yes please and thank you for the Christmas card, Mrs Rizzoli."

"No problem dear, Merry Christmas, hang on a second." Maura heard the phone being placed on the side and then Mrs Rizzoli bellowing, "JANE! PHONE!" she grinned to herself as she heard Jane yell something back, "Be quick, it's Maura!" Mrs Rizzoli yelled back in response to whatever Jane had said and then Jane's voice getting closer.

"Hello?"

"Hey Janey." Maura grinned as Jane came on the line.

"Princess!" Jane said happily, "Merry Christmas, is it snowing there? I've been imagining like the picture perfect Christmas card snowy village scene." Jane said excitedly, then she paused, "Did you get the package?"

"Yes and thank you so much, it's perfect!" Maura told her as she looked happily at the bracelet. "And congratulations Captain!"

"Thanks Maura and I'm really glad you like it." As Maura listened, there was a tap on the window to the office and the woman on duty smiled apologetically and motioned for her to hurry. They weren't technically allowed to call non family members to international numbers.

"I'm sorry Jane I'm going to have to go but thank you again so, so much and Merry Christmas to you and your family again!"

"Thanks Princess, Merry Christmas to you too, see you this summer."

"Yes you will, bye Janey ... and Jane I'm proud of you too." Maura quickly hung up and thanked the woman in the office before practically skipping back to her dorm. The next few months passed quickly and before she knew it she was on a plane back to the states. Their driver had picked her up at the airport and when she got back to her parents house, she noticed a new car outside. Puzzled she walked inside and greeted her parents. The car turned out to be her birthday present. She had been learning to drive last summer and had taken special lessons at her school that were designed for the international students. They had set up the test for that evening as her mother's family had connections in the DMV.

"It took quite a few favours to get this test date Maura, I want you not to waste this opportunity. If you pass you may drive yourself to Boston to visit with your little friend. If not you will be staying here this summer." Mrs Isles told her. Maura did not reply other than to nod. Her mother was very harsh sometimes and Maura knew it was because she wanted her to succeed. She had never been the maternal type. It was typical of her parents to spring this sort of thing on her but she had the relevant numbers of hours and had read the manual inside and out. She felt prepared. It was nerve wracking, waiting to go for her test but within twenty minutes she was back at the test centre being congratulated for passing.

The next morning with her car all packed up, she headed for Boston. By lunch time she was pulling up outside the Rizzoli's modest house, smiling at the worn basketball hoop above the garage. She grabbed her handbag and locked her car before walking up the driveway to the front door and knocked. She didn't have to wait long for the door to be pulled open.

"Maura," Mr Rizzoli smiled, "Come on in." He welcomed Maura. "JANE!" he called up the stairs. Mr Rizzoli led Maura into the kitchen where Mrs Rizzoli stood making lunch.

"Maura!" she greeted and pulled her into a hug. "How was your year?"

"Really good Mrs Rizzoli, I've done my GCSE's, I managed to get another grade on my fencing and won the freestyle competition for 11th year girls on the school swimming competition. I just passed my driver's test too."

"Oh congratulations, have you ..." Mrs Rizzoli started to ask but was cut off by the yell that came from the hall and caused Maura to spin around just in time as two long arms wrapped themselves around her.

"Hi Janey" Maura grinned.

"Hiya Princess!" Jane grinned back as she released Maura from her hug. "You're early! I thought you said it would be dinner time before you arrived."

"Well I drove myself so I could leave this morning rather than this afternoon." She explained.

"Wait, you drove yourself?" Jane asked, "Your parents got you a car, didn't they?" She smirked.

"Yes they did."

"And you're wondering why they bothered 'cause you've got two more years of school where you won't be able to use it right?"

Maura sighed exasperated. "Exactly!" Then she smiled, "It is nice though, you want to come and see it?"

"Sure! Let's go." Jane took Maura's hand and they walked quickly to the door. Jane whistled as she saw the car. "I was half expecting pink" She teased.

"Why would you ..." Maura replied and then oh'd in understanding at the joke.

"Come on," Jane laughed at the pout on Maura's face, "Let's get your bags." Maura unlocked the boot of the car and they each pulled out a bag. They chatted happily as they locked the car again and walked back to the house. "Come on, you're sharing my room." Jane started up the stairs with Maura following. They went to the room at the end of the corridor and Jane led the way inside. The room was a mix of girly that Maura knew had to be Mrs Rizzoli's attempts to make Jane more ladylike and then a mix of everything Jane enjoyed. There was a large desk in one corner, the wall in front was covered in pictures and as Maura stepped closer, she realised that all the quotes she had ever sent were pinned up in between these pictures. One of them had been hand painted in large letters above the door. 'Believe you can and you're half way there'.

"That helps me every day," Jane smiled shyly, "I love getting them on my birthdays."

Maura smiled happily, "I'm glad."

They sat talking for a while until the doorbell went again and Jane's name was called once. Jane grabbed Maura's hand and pulled her down the stairs with her.

"Taylor!" Jane exclaimed as they reached the foot of the stairs, "I told you I couldn't come to practice today."

"I thought you were kidding," Taylor replied. Maura looked at her from Jane's side, she still hadn't let go of her hand. Taylor was tall and slim and had long blonde hair tied back in a pony tail.

"I told you Maura was arriving today." Jane rolled her eyes.

"But you're the captain! Come on Jane you have to be there." Taylor glanced quickly at Maura and their joined hands.

"It's ok Jane, I have homework to do and ..." She started.

"Of course you do." Jane smiled. Maura ignored this with an eye roll of her own.

"I can get on with that whilst you're gone or help your mother with dinner or something."

"No way, I'm not subjecting you to that!" Jane looked quickly back at Taylor before continuing, "Nah you'll come too. Bring a book if you must. We'll only be there an hour, two tops."

"Erm Jane? The team won't ..." Taylor started.

"Be happy if we're late!" Jane interrupted giving Taylor a look that Maura didn't understand but Taylor did as she instantly stopped talking. Jane and Maura ran back upstairs and Jane quickly changed into her hockey kit whilst Maura grabbed her A level biology text book. When Jane was finished getting ready, she glanced at Maura's outfit, raising an eyebrow. "You know it's going to be muddy right?" with a pointed glance at her heeled shoes.

"Not appropriate?" She asked, Jane shook her head, "Well, then I have nothing to wear." She told her seriously.

"Of course you don't." Jane smirked as she opened her wardrobe and pulled out a pair of trainers and then grabbed some socks for her.

"Here, these socks are new and those trainers can get muddy."

"These really don't ..." Maura was about to comment on how mismatched she would be with them but acquiesced at the look of impatience on her face. Instead she slipped off her heels and then pulled on the socks and then the trainers. "I look ridiculous." she said waving her hands up in defeat. Jane laughed at this.

"No, you look adorable." Maura didn't like the term adorable anymore than ridiculous but when she saw Jane grinning at her she grinned back. "And here," Jane passed her a hoody, "Put this in your bag. Sometimes it can get cold on the fields."

Maura put the hoody in her bag as she was told and then followed Jane out of the house. Jane gave a yell to her mother that they were going to hockey practice and they walked out with Taylor. Taylor told Jane about the new team members that were coming for their first session and how a girl called Jennifer was on the warpath again. Here she glanced at Maura.

Jane sighed. "I don't care what that bitch ..."

"Language Jane." Maura chastised. Jane flashed her a small grin.

"... What Jennifer says about me, she's entitled to whatever skewed opinion she wants but if she says anything against Maura, and I know that's what you were getting at before, then I will be hitting her ... hard."

Maura was confused. Why would someone she's never even met (and therefore had the chance to confuse) want to say something negative about her? Jane didn't look like she was about to explain and Taylor turned to Maura.

"So you're Jane's pen pal who goes to school in England right?"

"She's my best friend Tay, she's not just a pen pal." Jane told her with a sigh.

Taylor grinned at them both and Maura couldn't help the smile she returned. "I know Jane, geez you need a sense of humour transplant ... and fast if this is how you're going to be with Jennifer. You know she can sense a bad mood a mile away like a shark senses blood and she will go for the kill." At this moment they arrived at the field and they started to walk over to where a group of girls were warming up.

"Janey can I just have a quick word with you, just for a second?" she looked pointedly at Jane and she sighed.

"I'll be with you in a minute Tay." Taylor nodded and jogged towards the girls who all called out in greeting.

"What's wrong Janey?" Maura asked, not wanting to beat around the bush. Jane sighed again, this time in frustration and ran a hand through her hair.

"It's Jennifer, she can be a real ... pain. We've basically been enemies since kindergarten. It got really bad after that summer we met, we had to do a report on our summer's vacation and present them. I did and obviously spoke a lot about you. Well since then she's been calling me a dyke and I can deal with that, it's that she says we're together like that and calls you all sorts of names. She acts like being gay is an insult, I know I'm straight, she can call me what she likes but you're my friend and I don't want her to upset you." Here she paused. "Maybe I should have let you stay at home."

"No," Maura smiled and reached out to take her hands. "I don't care about false accusations given by a bigot who doesn't know real friendship." Jane smiled at this, "And I can handle myself if she starts. You focus on training."

Jane smiled widely and pulled her into a hug. Smiling herself she said, "Won't this make her think she's right?" Her voice laden with humour.

"Don't care," Jane hugged her tighter, "And if she says anything I will be kicking her ass."

"Jane, language." Maura said again as she pulled away.

"Yeah, yeah, right I gotta go, you just sit on the training bench there," she pointed it out, "And try not to read too much."

"Yes Jane." Maura smiled indulgently.

Jane ran off and Maura walked to sit on the end of the bench where Jane had thrown her own bag. She watched as Jane organised them to run drills and saw one fairly small girl staring at her. She ignored this and watched Jane and Taylor practicing hitting and stopping the hockey ball they were sharing. She knew enough about field hockey from Jane's various teachings that Jane was very good. About 10 minutes of this happened before Jane called them into a group, not far from where Maura was sat. Maura reached for her book as Jane started talking to the team about the coming year.

"Ok ladies, so this coming year will be my senior year. Coach has asked me to leas some training sessions this summer to keep us all up to speed and help the new girls settle in." Here Jane paused and the same girl who had been staring at Maura earlier interrupted.

"We all know how much you love helping _girls_ settle in right Jane?"

"Knock it off Jennifer!" Taylor said, menacingly.

"So," Jane continued as if she hadn't heard this, "We'll be meeting every week for at least an hour. Now I know we all have better things to be this summer ..."

"Yeah and the _better_ thing you have to do is sat right there!"

Jane closed her eyes and Maura could see her hands tighten on her hockey stick so hard that her hands were white. She was trying hard not to lose her patience.

"One more word Chadwick and I swear I'll ..."

"You'll what?" Jennifer sneered and Maura stood up as she saw Jane take a step forward but stopped herself.

"I'll report you to Coach and have you kicked off the team!" Jane snarled, "I refuse to put up with your crap anymore!"

"Aww the big scary lesbian has to run to Coach to fight her battles," She laughed coldly, "I don't know what Coach sees in you. You're just a bitch and you've got that jumped up rich little whore wrapped around ..."

Jane launched herself at Jennifer but was temporarily halted by Taylor quickly grabbing her arm. Maura ran over as she saw Jane lunge at Jennifer and arrived at Jane's side to see Taylor and another girl holding Jane's arms and shoulders tightly to keep her from getting at Jennifer who was laughing. Jane was straining to escape from her friends arms and was spitting out angry words.

"... Let go! ... gonna kill ... she's so ... go of me!"

Maura quickly took hold of Jane's hands in hers and stood in front of her between Jane and Jennifer. Jane stopped struggling and looked wildly at Maura before relaxing completely.

"Jane are you ok?" she whispered, understanding that using 'Janey' wouldn't help the situation right now.

"She's such a ... a ... witch!" Jane huffed, clearly not trying to swear but to find a word strong enough to describe what Jennifer was exactly.

"Aww how sweet, the lesbian lovers touch calms the raging lesbian beast!" Jennifer taunted but before anyone else could react, Maura had spun around and slapped her hard across the face.

"How dare you! You're just a Philistine who has no real companionship and tries her hardest to hurt those who do!" She took a shuddering breath to try to calm herself before she said, "I'm sorry I slapped you, I don't like to resort to violence but it seems narrow minded people like you seem to activate a response from my Amygdala!"

She turned back to Jane and noticed the stunned looks on everyone's faces except Jane who just looked calm.

It was Taylor who broke the silence. "What the hell is an a-midge-dola?" She frowned, asking Maura who opened her mouth to reply but Jane spoke first.

"It's the section of the brain that deals with emotional response."

"And it's pronounced A-Mig-Da-La" Maura supplied.

"Well hell! Now I know how you aced bio!" Taylor said as she glanced from Jane to Maura. Jane didn't say anything but squeezed Maura's hand that had taken hers again before turning to the rest of the group.

"Right, we've had enough talk for one day! I want you to split into two teams and have a mini match! Jennifer that's enough for you today. I'll decide after I've talked to Coach if you're gonna be replaced." Jennifer stalked off. Jane walked over to stand next to Maura and whispered, with a sly grin, "Who knew that a princess could be such a tiger." Maura blushed and pushed Jane's arm as she started to run back to the team, both of them laughing loudly.

The rest of the practice session went pretty well and before long Jane and Maura were walking back to Jane's house with Taylor as she lived in that direction too. Maura liked Taylor. Her initial reaction, she knew, was due to knowing how much rubbish Jane had put up with and she had wanted to protect Jane. She could understand that as she did herself, now however Taylor was laughing with them as they arrived at Jane's house. They said goodbye to Taylor and were about to step inside when Mrs Rizzoli ran towards the front door.

"Shoe's off!" She said, "Don't track mud through my house Jane Rizzoli."

"Sorry Ma." Jane mumbled, not sounding sorry in the slightest.


	6. Chapter 6 - Long Slow Days of Summer

A.N. So guys slightly bad news (but hopefully not too bad!) I can't post on Wednesdays anymore so it'll have to be updates on Mondays and Fridays with occasional Saturdays :S sorry! But here's the next chapter!

_Parting is such sweet sorrow - William Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)_

Chapter Six - Long Slow Days of Summer

The rest of the day passed by quickly, mostly with Jane and Maura helping Mrs Rizzoli make dinner (after Jane had a shower). After dinner they all sat and watched a movie with Jane and Maura squashed next to each other in the large armchair. Mr Rizzoli had the other armchair and Mrs Rizzoli and the boys shared the sofa. At first they sat side by side until Jane's squirming caused Maura to sit side wards with her legs draped over Jane's and then the arm of the chair. Jane brought her hands up to rest on the legs in front of her and Maura took her right hand in her left. They smiled at each other before turning their attention back to the movie. For the first time Maura felt content. She had always felt happy around Jane but sitting here watching a movie in a room full of people, all of whom liked and loved her was beyond happiness. She was content. She felt herself drifting off and then the next thing she knew Jane was gently squeezing her hand and shaking her leg at the knee.

"Come on Princess, time for bed." Maura groaned but stood and Jane said goodnight to her family and led Maura upstairs. Maura saying goodnight as they walked. When she reached Jane's bedroom she was a little more awake and pulled out her pyjamas from her bag. Her pyjamas were the short's that Jane had given her and the old BPD t-shirt. Jane went to brush her teeth in the little ensuite bathroom first and change. Maura took the time alone to slip into her pyjamas, as Jane came out of the bathroom she raised her eyebrows at Maura's choice of clothing.

"What? They're comfortable."

"I know," She winked at her friend, "Go clean up." She ushered Maura into the bathroom. Maura left her toiletries in the bathroom and her toothbrush on the shelf next to Jane's. She turned off the light and walked into Jane's bedroom to see her friend lying in bed, reading a book. To her surprise it was Pride and Prejudice.

"I didn't know you were a Jane Austen fan." She said curiously as she slipped into bed beside her.

"I wasn't but you mentioned reading the books and that this was your favourite so I decided to give it a shot." She replied.

Maura frowned, "I didn't think you'd read it unless you wanted to, it was just a recommendation."

"Relax Princess, I decided to give it a go, it's good!"

Maura relaxed at Jane's words. "So what part are you up to?" she asked, leaning towards Jane to read over her shoulder.

"Bingley and his sister have just gone back to town ... that's London right?"

"Yes Jane."

"Good, at least I got that right," she frowned, "I still don't understand about Mr Collins though. Why does the son of Mr Bennett's brother inherit everything when his wife and daughters get nothing?"

"The socio-economic state at the time and the nature of British law ..." Jane put her hand over Maura's mouth before she launched into a long winded answer.

"Easy answer?" she asked.

"... it was against the law." Maura summarised.

"Yeah I thought so but seriously that's so harsh, could you imagine having all your parents stuff just given away like that?"

"Yes it must have been very hard, it's a common theme in her books." Jane yawned and dropped her bookmark back into place and put her book onto the table,

"Bed time I think." She slid down into the covers and Maura followed her lead. Jane turned off the bedside lamp and the room was suddenly dark, except for the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. There was silence for a few minutes. "What's going on in that big brain of yours Princess? I can hear you thinking from here."

"I was wondering about Jennifer." She whispered.

Jane paused. "What do you wanna know?"

Here Maura hesitated, she knew that this had started the summer they met but other than the occasional mention of a girl called Jennifer that was 'making her life hell' Jane had never mentioned her. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked quietly, finally realising what she was feeling was hurt. Jane fumbled for her hand and threaded their fingers together.

"Hey you listen to me Princess. You know me better than anyone, even my Ma. When you told me about your roommate I did think about telling you about Jennifer but I knew how upset you were about both her behaviour and your reaction to it. I didn't want to give you more to worry about ... especially when ..." she looked down at their joined hands. "Especially when I was worried about you thinking they were right because we are really close and then you maybe backing away from our friendship. I _really_ didn't want that." she admitted quietly.

"I wouldn't stop being your friend just because we don't conform to the boundaries that average friends have." Maura told her firmly. "I don't have many friends, you know that and you're the best friend I've ever had but Janey, did you not think it might have helped if I knew that we were both having these issues?" She could see Jane thinking.

"Shit, no I'm sorry, it really didn't. I'm really sorry. I promise I'll tell you absolutely everything in the future."

"Jane, stop it." Maura soothed, "I'm not asking you to tell me everything, frankly the postage alone would cost a fortune, but that would have been something I would have liked to know."

"... was that a joke Maura Isles?" Jane asked, shocked, a smile creeping onto her face,

"Maybe."

The tickle fight that ensued was pretty one sided as Jane was definitely the stronger of the two but they soon calmed down and fell back against the mattress. Jane pulled Maura's back against her chest and they settled into the sleeping position that had favoured the summer before. Jane wrapped her arms around Maura and sighed sleepily.

"Night Princess."

"Night Janey."

The next morning, Maura woke first and just enjoyed the sensation of being close to her friend. She hadn't been awake for long until Jane started to stir as well. She glanced at her alarm clock.

"Urgh! Why are we awake? It's five o'clock." Jane groaned and dropped her head so her face was buried in Maura's hair.

Maura laughed, "Well it's ten o'clock in the UK so that's why I'm awake, I have no idea why you're awake."

"Shh, sleepy, sleep now." she mumbled. Maura smiled and allowed herself to be lulled back to sleep. She woke again over two hours later to Jane's gentle deep breathing. After a few minutes, she reached for the copy of Pride and Prejudice she could see on the table in front of her and happily started reading, unwilling to disturb Jane. It took another hour and a half for Jane to stir again.

"Have you been reading since five?" she yawned and pulled away to stretch. "You could have gotten up you know, you wouldn't have disturbed me."

"I was comfortable." Maura replied, stretching herself. She jumped up and ran to the bathroom throwing a, "Me first!" over her shoulder.

It didn't take too long for them both to be downstairs having breakfast with Mrs Rizzoli. Mr Rizzoli was working and Jane's brothers were still asleep.

"Good morning girls!"

"Good morning Mrs Rizzoli."

"Morning Ma." They both replied and sat down.

"Ok, I have bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes, cereal, porridge. What would you like dear?" Mrs Rizzoli asked. They both decided on pancakes and a few minutes later she was providing them both with bunny shaped pancakes.

"Ma." Jane groaned.

"What?" Mrs Rizzoli asked.

"Bunny pancakes? Really? What am I five?" Jane said, incredulously. Maura looked down at her pancakes. Her mother had never made her so much as a drink. The maid had always done it. She looked up at Jane and Mrs Rizzoli as they continued arguing but there was no anger at all in their words. Was this what mothers did? Take the time to shaped pancakes and even add syrup for the eye's and the nose. She thought it said far more than words ever could and she knew Jane thought so too. She reached out to put her hand on Jane's knee and she stopped arguing to look at her friend.

"I think it's nice." She grinned at Jane and Jane grinned back before digging into her pancakes. Mrs Rizzoli sat opposite them at the table and watched them as they ate.

"Is this that fascinating Ma?" Jane finally asked with a growl.

Mrs Rizzoli just smiled. "It's just nice to see you so happy, you both look really relaxed"

Maura ducked her head as she blushed and Jane almost coughed into her orange juice.

"MA!" She yelled.

"What!" She asked heatedly, "Can't I comment on how nice that is to see?"

Jane started muttering darkly about mothers and Maura couldn't help but giggle, before long they were all laughing. That afternoon, Jane took Maura to meet her friends. They met at the local amusement park and Jane introduced her.

"Ok guys, this is Maura. Maura this is Johnny, Emma, Michaela, David, Cam and you know Taylor."

Everyone was looking curiously at Maura so she smiled at them shyly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." she said.

"Geez where's you find her, Rizzoli? She's classy aint she?" Johnny smirked.

"Knock it off Jonathon! Maura's cool." Taylor interrupted. "Did I tell ya that she slapped Jennifer yesterday? It was class!"

Maura flushed at this. "That was hardly my finest moment."

Before anyone else could speak, two other boys sauntered over.

"Hey frog face," One of them greeted Jane, "Who's your friend?"

"Get lost Joey." Jane said with a huff.

"Why so touchy, Rizzoli?" He asked turning his attention back to Jane.

"I'm not touchy Joey, you're just an ass!"

"Jane, language." Maura told her.

Jane stared exasperatedly at her friend. "But this is the guy who cheats off me and put that duck in my locker."

Maura remembered Jane complaining about that boy. She frowned as she looked at him. "Well just because he's an immature miscreant with defrauder tendencies doesn't mean you should resort to vulgar vocabulary."

Jane blinked and then turned to Joey and said, "So as I was saying I'm not touchy, you're just a 'miscreant' so disappear before I have her," Here she pointed at Maura, "Explain the finer points of what the flesh eating bacteria does to you." She grinned at Maura as she turned her back on Joey and gave her a wink, but Maura looked worried.

"Chromobacterium Violaceum is nothing to joke about Jane."

"Who's joking?" Jane asked, "I still feel ill from the last time you described it so I'm sure it'd be really cool to watch Joey Grant's face when you tell him all about it."

Realising that Jane was kidding about telling Joey Grant the awful effects of the flesh eating bacteria, Maura smiled and turned back to face the rest of Jane's friends.

"Aww aint they cute!" Taylor squeaked sarcastically, winking at both of them.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah enough talk, it's time for me to kick your ass at bowling." She clapped her hands together in enthusiasm and led Maura into the bowling alley.

"But Jane ... I've never ..." Maura started.

"Played before?" Jane guessed and nodded at the confirmation she received from her friend, "I figured as much, bet the illustrious Professor and Mrs Isles don't spend much time at bowling alleys with their only daughter right? Well I'm all over this, I'll teach you!"

It turned out that after the first few tries Maura really didn't need much teaching. After her fourth strike in a row, she smiled at the shocked look on all Jane's friends faces. "It's just applied physics." She shrugged, a wide smile on her face as Jane laughed at her friends shocked reaction to Maura's skill at bowling. "Although I'm not sure how sanitary shared bowling balls and shoes are." She said looking at the offending red and white bowling shoes.

"They won't kill you Maur," Jane told her before turning to Taylor and Michaela who were sat next to her and Maura. "You should see her hit a home run!"

"You play baseball?" Taylor asked, surprised.

"Not normally, there's not much interest in it at my school, soccer tends to be the sport everyone loves in any school in England but Jane taught me how to play baseball."

"She's pretty good Tay," Jane commentated as she stood up to take her turn as the pins had been reset. She bowled and got a strike herself.

"You wanna head to the batting cages tomorrow then Rizzoli? Maybe Maura here can show us how it's done?" Cam grinned as he took his turn.

"Maybe next weekend." Jane replied as she sat with her arm resting on the back of the bench behind Maura.

"We can't go tomorrow?" Maura asked. She liked playing baseball with Jane.

"Nope, surprise number one tomorrow." Jane smiled at Maura who grinned back.

When they arrived home for dinner they listened to Mrs Rizzoli complaining about Mr Rizzoli's job, ate dinner and then sat down again to watch another movie. This time Jane sat first and pulled Maura to sit back in the same comfortable position they were in the night before. It was 21:30 when Maura started falling asleep.

"Nu uh, wake up Princess, I'm not being woken up at five again because of your weird jet lag." Jane whispered as she gently poked Maura in the side to wake her.

"Ok I'm awake." Maura said, with a sleepy smile.

"Just another half hour ok?" Jane whispered.

"Ok." Maura mumbled, struggling to open her eyes enough to take in the screen.

Jane sighed, giving in at how tired her friend was. "Come on then Princess, bed time." Jane pushed her to her feet and followed Maura. They changed and brushed their teeth before falling into bed.

"This has been a wonderful weekend Janey." Maura whispered sleepily.

"Better because you were here," Jane yawned and then settled herself fully against Maura, "Sweet dreams Princess."

"Goodnight Janey."

Jane's surprise number one turned out to be a trip to Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox. Maura squeaked with happiness and threw her arms around Jane when she told her. The whole Rizzoli clan plus Maura greatly enjoyed the evening and they were all very excited as they got home after Red Sox beat the Yankees.

Surprise number two was a trip to BCU. Jane watched Maura as she wordlessly took in the library and the massive grounds, before turning back to Jane and telling her that this is where she was coming for college.

Surprise number three was a day shopping in Boston. Well Maura spent the day shopping whilst Jane tried her hardest not to look bored. As they were passing a sport shop, Jane looked at the Red Sox jerseys in the window and Maura, correctly interpreting the look, talked Jane into allowing her to buy the whole family a jersey each. She let Jane handle getting the names on the back and grinned when Jane showed her that hers said 'Honorary Rizzoli'.

The next few weeks were the best of Maura's life. She and Jane spent all their time together, going from one section of Boston to another. When it came to the final night she would be spending with the Rizzoli's, Maura was thinking when Jane came into the living room with their drinks and spotted the thoughtful slightly worried look on her friends face.

"Uh oh," Jane said as she took her usual place on the chair so they could watch TV and handed Maura's can to her, "I know that look, what you thinking about?"

Maura opened her can and took a sip, mainly to delay having to talk to sort through her thoughts. "I don't want you to get mad." Maura mused, more to herself than anything. Maura was contemplating leaving her car with Jane so someone would be able to use it. Her parents hasn't cared when she suggested it, Jane had already been added to the insurance and had passed her own test that summer. She knew Jane didn't like to accept what she referred to as charity but Maura like to do nice things for Jane and the rest of the Rizzoli's.

"You don't ever make me mad Maur, what's going on?"

"I want to leave my car with you so you can use it." Maura blurted.

Jane went very still. "You ... you want to give me your car?" Jane asked, incredulously.

"Well, yes. Just until I get home next summer and ..."

"Christmas. You promised Ma you'd be here for Christmas." Jane pointed out.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Christmas and you can use the car the rest of the time. It's quite practical really and the car won't be sat there for months and you can help with the shopping runs and things like that."

"I'm not sure Maur ..." Jane said, looking hesitant.

"Please Jane," Maura begged, "I'll talk to your parents, I'm sure they won't mind. My parents already say it's ok."

"Ok ... if Ma says yes, I'll keep the car here but only if you let me come and pick you up from the airport."

Maura grinned at Jane's terms. "Deal!" she agreed happily and pulled Jane into a tight hug that was, if truth be told, a little uncomfortable at this angle. It didn't take long for Maura to convince Mr and Mrs Rizzoli and Jane groaned loudly at all the jobs Mrs Rizzoli started listing she could do now. Before Maura knew it, she was packed into her car, saying goodbye to the Rizzoli's with Jane in the passenger seat. The drive back to Hartford was quiet, both lost in their thoughts. When Maura pulled up in her driveway, Jane's jaw dropped.

She whistled impressed. "Wow, I didn't think you were _really_ as rich as the Queen."

"That's a common misinterpretation ..." Maura stopped herself. "Do you want to come in for a drink before you head back to Boston?"

"Sure." Jane grinned. She helped Maura pull her bags into the house and up the stairs to her bedroom. Maura's room was decorated in simple neutral colours. The only really personal touches that Jane could see were the pictures of them from the previous summer on her bedside table. Maura saw where Jane was looking. She smiled and reached for her box that she kept hidden under her bed.

"I keep all my origami figures in here where they can be safe with your letters." She told Jane, reassured by her soft smile. She reached back under the bed and pulled out the picture frame with their other pictures in. "This is what I have up at school."

Jane smiled and reached over to the pot on the desk where she saw a sharpie pen. "May I?" she asked, holding the pen over the back of the frame. Maura nodded and Jane sat and wrote:

_Princess, I hope for many more years as best friends to fill more frames with memories, love Janey._

"You know, this is the first time I really don't want to go back to school." Maura admitted as she read the message. She put the frame down gently and grabbed Jane's hand to pull her out of the room.

"Don't worry Maur, you'll be back for Christmas before you know it." Jane told her as they walked towards the kitchen.

"I know," Maura sighed, "What would you like to drink?"

"Just water please."

As they were both sat, happily chatting and drinking their water, the front door banged open. Maura winced as she heard her mother's voice.

"... always happens!"

"I was only telling them about the award." Her father's voice rang out, "It's very prestigious and I, for one, am very proud of her."

"We haven't seen the Gilmore's for three years and all you can discuss is that girl."

Maura looked quickly at Jane who had looked surprised and slightly embarrassed for Maura at first but now just looked furious. She snapped her eyes to Maura's, her gaze clearly asking if this was a regular thing. Maura nodded, dropping her eyes to her glass.

"Why can't you just be proud of her?" her father asked. Jane stood and wrapped her arms around Maura as she saw the tears in her friend's eyes.

"Shh," she soothed, "It's ok."

"She hates me." Maura whispered into Jane's neck.

"That girl has been nothing but a bother, she has no concept of what is expected socially and then she spends her summers with her nose buried in a book rather than helping to maintain the Isle's name!"

Jane finally had enough and was about to interrupt them when Maura tightened her grip.

"Don't Janey, it'll blow over in a minute." Jane hesitated but stayed where she was.

"I'm not arguing with you about this anymore, I love _our_ daughter and I know you do too, despite your thoughts on her lack of social graces. I'm going to my study." There was a slamming of two doors and then silence. After a few moments pause, where Jane continued to hold Maura in her arms, she finally spoke.

"You did tell me about what they're like but I ... I really didn't think they were that bad."

"It's not so bad," Maura sniffed, "They're only like that after they go and see certain people. The Gilmores are the worst."

"Still ..."

"Janey, it's ok. I promise." Maura smiled at Jane and she felt herself calm down.

"Ok but if you change your mind and want me to collect you from the airport instead of staying here for a few days afterall, let me know. Ma will be really happy to have you for a few extra days."

"Ok," Maura agreed, "So you best head back, I don't want you to get stuck on the interstate."

"Ok, ok," Jane replied holding her hands up in mock defeat, "I get it, I'm going."

Maura walked her to the car and they said goodbye, Maura watching as Jane drove away.


	7. Chapter 7 - Holidays Are Coming

A.N. Wow how is it Tuesday already? Sorry about not updating yesterday, I have no excuse except for I forgot! Sorry guys and here's the next chapter

_Waiting makes me restless. When I'm ready, I'm ready. - Reba McEntire _

Chapter Seven - Holidays Are Coming

The next week was hell for Maura. No matter what she said to Jane, and what she had said was the truth as the fights were always bad after visiting certain families, this fight was one of the worst. Her mother barely spoke to her and her father was slightly more distant that usual. The last day before she was due to head to school she received another letter from Jane.

_Princess,_

_ I hope everything is ok. I've gotta admit I'm a little worried after hearing that argument but I haven't told Ma (I know you wouldn't want me to). Tay says Hi and she hopes you can kick her ass at baseball again next summer (her words, not mine __). I've finally spoken to Coach about Jennifer. She has been kicked off the team. She agrees that, as good of a player Jennifer is, if she can't play as a team she shouldn't be part of one._

_School is pretty much the same only now it seems that everything is that little bit more important. Everything is about college's and grades and what careers we'll follow. One girl had a bit of a breakdown the other day because she doesn't know what she's going to do._

_The Rizzoli's are the same as usual. Ma is upset with me at the moment because Frankie is now saying he wants to be a police officer too and says I've 'corrupted' her little man. Frankie wasn't too impressed at being called a little man but I thought it was hilarious._

_I really miss you and can't wait until Christmas._

_Love Janey._

She cheered up considerably after this and sent off her reply.

_Janey,_

_ Everything is fine. I will admit that the tension around the house was a little higher than usual but it was really nothing I couldn't handle. Thank you for not telling your mother, your family life is so different than mine and I don't want her to think that she needs to be any more of a mother to me than she already is (I'll leave that for your enjoyment!)_

_There seems to be the same tension here about schooling and the future. I'm all set with my subjects though and I'm a little ahead thankfully._

_I didn't realise Frankie wanted to be a police officer too. Is this a recent development?_

_I'm looking for to Christmas too and whilst I can wait as nothing I can do will alter the flow of time, I do wish that it was here already._

_See you at Christmas_

_Love Maura._

She spent the first few weeks of term trying not to think about Christmas. Her Christmases with her parents had never been exactly fun which was why she had spent the last at her school. She had no idea what she was going to get the Rizzoli's for Christmas. Her parents were easy. Her father always had cigars and her mother always had a few bottles of wine for her favourite vineyard, she wanted to do something really nice for the whole Rizzoli family. They had invited her into their home and treated her like she was a part of their family.

It wasn't long before she wrote to Jane for her birthday.

_Janey,_

_ Happy Birthday!_

_I hope you have a great time this year and that your mother behaves herself this time, I really think that singing happy birthday to you in the corridor at school was a little too much, even for your mother._

_The quote I want to share with you today is one not one of the usual kind but I hope you like it anyway._

_ "A true friend is someone who can see the pain in your eyes while everyone else believes the smile on your face."_

_You can always tell so I thought this to be fitting. _

_I've just won a swimming competition in a butterfly stroke. I thought you'd like to know that as well._

_I must go, I'm supposed to be studying. I miss you._

_Love Maura._

When Jane wrote back she collected the letter from the post office at the school, and had just pulled the letter from the envelope to start reading when the letter was pulled from her grip.

"What's this Isles?" Emily asked in mock interest, "Oh sorry, I meant 'Honorary Rizzoli'." She stressed with a smirk at the Red Sox jersey Maura was currently wearing.

"Give me my letter back Emily." Maura said, keeping a lid on her anger.

"No, I think everyone would want to hear what your girlfriend has to say this time." She dropped her eyes to the letter and smirked. "Aww she still calls you Princess." She glanced around at the crowd that was developing that was devoid of teachers. "Princess, I hope you're ok. Thanks for the card and quote. I think that was my favourite one, other than 'Believe you can and you're half way there'. I still love that. I've started my application. I've applied for BCU at your insistence but come on, I'm not gonna get in there, besides who needs that when they wanna be a cop!' She wants to be a cop? Really Isles the people with whom you ... well let's face it, this girl is the only person with whom you have any kind of connection. It's very appropriate that you have sex too." Emily sneered.

Maura's faces burned with anger. "Have you had your fun now?" Maura asked with a cold anger. "I'm tired of your pettiness. I had no problem with anyone who I met when I started this school, but you have tried your hardest to make my life miserable from day one and since you found out about my best friend and how we stay in contact you've been obsessed with us being more than friends. Are you that desperate to ..." Here Maura paused and closed her eyes to take in a deep breath. She had been about to say 'that desperate to get the possibility she was gay off herself that she'd force that perception onto someone else' but that would have been no help. She opened her eyes and one look at Emily told her she knew what Maura had been about to say.

Emily threw the letter at Maura with anger. "As if dyke." she muttered.

"I beg your pardon!" Came a third voice. Everyone spun around to see Mrs Hughen, the librarian staring at Emily. "Not only did you just read out a personal letter but you also insulted a fellow student! Go and wait outside Mrs Reckless' office please."

Emily trudged off with an angry glare at Maura. Mrs Hughen turned to look at her favourite student.

"Next time, tell someone when she does something like that, Mrs Reckless advised us of what happened a couple of years ago and no one should have to put up with any form of bullying." She looked around at all the faces of the students. "That goes for all of you!"

Emily was put in detention until the start of Christmas vacation and she had to help in the kitchens. Maura was so excited to be going to the Rizzoli's for Christmas that the last two weeks before term ended dragged by. She was eating dinner three days before she was due to go home when she was called to the office.

"You have a phone call." She was told. Maura frowned and picked up the handset.

"Hello?"

"Maura honey, it's your father." Her father's strong voice came over the line.

"Hi Daddy, what's wrong?" She asked.

"Your mother and I are planning to leave tonight rather than this weekend and we were wondering if you could have your friend collect you from the airport?"

"I'll have to ask Daddy, I'm sure Jane won't mind but are you and mother ok with me heading straight there?" Maura asked, unsure whether to be excited she would be spending more time with Jane or disappointed that skiing came before she did.

"Darling I'm sorry, I do want to see you but ..."

"Mother doesn't," Maura finished, "It's ok Daddy, have a good Christmas. I'll leave yours and mothers gifts in the living room at the house."

"You're a good girl Maura. Have a fantastic time at your friend's house. I love you!"

"I'll see you sometime soon." Maura hung up and noticed the receptionist was busy on the other line so quickly rang the Rizzoli's.

"Hello?" Came Mrs Rizzoli's voice.

"Hi Mrs Rizzoli," Mura greeted, grinning as she heard the voice.

"Maura honey!" came the excited reply. "Are you all set for a Rizzoli Christmas?" She asked.

"I'm really looking forward to it," Maura told her sincerely, "I was actually wondering if Jane could come and get me from the airport this Saturday rather than my house on Monday. Mother and Father have changed their plans."

Mrs Rizzoli confirmed this wouldn't be a problem. "That's fine dear, Jane's studying with Taylor at the moment at her house. They have a big chemistry test tomorrow so I'll tell her you called and what time to collect you ok?"

"That's great Mrs Rizzoli, I'll see you in a few days."

"You too, dear." They hung up and Maura grinned in excitement.

A.N. Just as a quick answer to some reviewers asking when they're gonna kiss ... it will be a while yet guys, just bear in mind that there are 42 chapters in this story ... ;)


	8. Chapter 8 - Coming Home For Christmas

A.N. Here's the start of the Christmas chapters ;) hope you like it

_Christmas is taken very seriously in this household - Carol Ann Duffy_

Chapter Eight - Coming Home For Christmas

When Maura cleared baggage claim at Hartford airport she saw Jane leaning against a signpost, looking utterly at home and cool. When she saw Maura, her face split into a huge grin and she pushed off from the signpost with far more grace than most would expect of the tomboy.

"Princess!" Jane said happily as she reached her and pulled her into a tight hug. "How was your flight?" she asked into Maura's hair.

"Not bad other than being sat next to a frightful woman whose perfume was really strong."

Jane laughed and they pulled out of their hug. Jane reached down to grab Maura's bag and they both walked off towards the car park.

"So do you want the good new or the bad news?" Jane asked as they left the terminal and headed for their car.

"Bad news." Maura said firmly.

"My Aunt, Uncle and cousins are staying until the day after Christmas too, good news? My Aunt, Uncle and Christina will be in the living room, Jacob and Anthony have to share with Frankie and Tommy so we don't have to share my room so we still have an escape from the craziness."

"What's the rest of your family like?" Maura asked.

"Well my Uncle is my Dad's brother so they're all proper Rizzoli's. My Aunt is awesome, we get on great, my cousins are ok ... well except for Christina, she is the most awful person alive. She hates me because I'm a tomboy and she's so different and very much a girly girl. Honestly I think she's jealous because the family is proud of me for doing so well with my studies and sports and she tries to find anything to say that is negative about me. She once told me it wasn't proper to be a girl and play field hockey."

"But you love playing hockey." Maura said, it didn't make sense why her cousin would tell her that, when it made her so happy.

"I know, which is why I'm glad you're here this Christmas, I don't have to share my room with her and I get to see you. It's all good!"

Maura just smiled at this and they reached their car. Jane put Maura's case in the boot and then they headed straight to Boston, Maura having no inclination to go to her house first. They talked about Jane's senior year and Maura's choice of subjects, about Jane's crush on a guy called Casey and Maura's roommates new obsession with a new boyband called Boyzone.

Jane pulled up in front of the Rizzoli house a few hours later.

"So, you ready for my mother?" Jane grinned.

Maura rolled her eyes at this. Despite Jane's morning, she knew she loved her family so she shoved Jane's shoulder and they were both laughing as they got out of the car. Jane once again insisted on carrying Maura's case.

"I'm back!" Jane yelled as they entered the house, "And I've got Maura with me!"

"In the kitchen!" Came Mrs Rizzoli's voice. They walked into the kitchen to find Mrs Rizzoli sat with another woman, drinking coffee. As Maura entered Mrs Rizzoli jumped up to her feet and pulled Maura into a tight hug.

"Maura dear, are you ok? Was your flight ok? Jane didn't drive too fast did she? Oh let me look, have you been eating, you look like you've lost some weight." Mrs Rizzoli said in a rush.

"Ma! Leave her alone, she just got here." Jane interrupted, pulling Maura out of Mrs Rizzoli's grasp and leading her by her hand to the fridge.

"Aunt Julia, this is my best friend Maura." Jane said as she pulled two bottles of water from the fridge and passed one to Maura, she smiled in thanks and held her hand out to the other woman at the table.

"It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am." She smiled.

"Ma'am? Oh no please call me Julia," Aunt Julia smiled as she shook the hand Maura offered, "I understand you go to boarding school in England."

"Yes, she's a genius." Jane piped up with a smirk.

"You don't need to be a genius to go to a boarding school Janey." Maura pointed out.

"It doesn't hurt though."

"Our Maura is a straight A student Julia and she speaks four languages." Mrs Rizzoli boasted.

"She started Chinese last term Ma, it's five now." Jane reminded her.

"Jane, Mandarin is a very complicated language, I'm hardly fluent right now." Jane rolled her eyes at this.

"That's very impressive Maura, can I ask how old you are?"

"I'm 16," Maura grinned, "Actually Janey I have something to tell you."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Jane asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm graduating early. I'll be starting BCU in September!" Maura told her happily, she had found out she was accepted a few weeks ago but had wanted to wait to tell Jane in person.

Jane's jaw dropped. "No way!" she exclaimed, "You're serious!?"

"Very." Maura grinned and she suddenly found Jane's arms around her waist and Jane lifting her up and spinning her around.

"This is awesome! When did you find out? Why didn't you say anything when I was going on about my year next year in our letters?"

"I wanted to tell you in person, I found out about a month ago. Mrs Reckless supported my early admission."

"Oh Maura," Mrs Rizzoli cried, suddenly finding her voice, "That is wonderful news!" She then pulled her into her own hug after Jane released her. After a few more minutes of congratulations, Jane pulled Maura out of the kitchen, yelling a quick bye to the two women there and then pulled Maura's suitcase up the stairs with Maura in tow. As Jane closed the door behind them, she spun around to face Maura with a grin still on her face.

"You're really serious?"

"Yes," Maura laughed, "In fact my parents are buying an apartment for me to live in and I was wondering if you'd want to be roommates?" she asked nervously, "I know it's a big thing to ask, but you'll be in the academy after your three year degree and it does make sense to share a place. Of course, you won't have any rent or anything so your parents won't have any additional worries and I'm ..." Maura babbled.

"Whoa Princess, calm down," Jane chuckled. "You're going all hyper on me, are you sure you'll be able to put up with me?"

"I'm sure I can manage." She replied.

"In that case yes! I mean I was going to have to live at home, this will be _much_ better!"

"I'm so glad you think so I was worried you'd say no." She smiled at Jane, relieved.

"Like I'd ever say no to anything you ask." Jane joked, nudging Maura's shoulder with her own. Before Maura could reply, the door burst open and a girl came stalking in.

"Geez Christina, it's called knocking." Jane said, clearly upset at her cousin's intrusion.

"So this is her then?" Christina asked with no sign she had heard Jane's comment.

"If, by her, you mean my best friend, then yes." Jane told her, there was a definite note of warning in her voice. Christina looked at Maura with a look of disgust on her face.

"Jennifer said she was ..." She started.

"Say what you're about to say and I swear it'll be the last thing you ever say to me." Jane interrupted, jumping to her feet, Maura stood as well.

"Jennifer as in ..." Maura asked.

"The very same." Jane growled.

"It's not Jennifer's fault you're the way you are or who you make friends with ..." Christina snapped.

"OUT!" yelled Jane. Christina turned on her heel and stalked out of the door. Jane slammed it behind her.

"So she's a friend of Jennifer's then?" Maura asked lightly. "Let me guess, she thinks we're gay too."

"Yeah pretty much," Jane sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Well I don't think she actually does. We were close until we were about six and we drifted apart. I liked ... well you know, baseball and riding bikes and running around the neighbourhood with Frankie, coming home with busted knee's and ripped clothing from climbing trees but Christina was more interested in her Barbie dolls and her cute little clothes and that was when she met Jennifer a few years later, just before we met at camp actually, well by then she was fighting constantly with her mother and getting in trouble with mine for lying and she once told me that everyone thought I was perfect so everyone said things like 'why can't you be more like Jane' and 'Jane would never be so impossible' blah blah blah, so I honestly think she took the stuff Jennifer said and tried to use that to make me look bad in front of the family. It kinda backfired though and now everyone kinda dislikes her more." Jane sighed and sat back down next to Maura, taking her hand in her own and squeezing it tightly. "I'm so sorry about this."

"Don't worry Janey, we'll have a great Christmas no matter what she says." Maura squeezed her hand back, "Are you ok?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, it's stupid but I have to put up with comments like that at school, you'd think she would try and make herself better instead of trying to make me seem worse to the family, ya know? With my family I think I should be able to be me whatever that is and not have to constantly worry what they're thinking like I am around some people at school."

"I know, don't be upset Janey." Maura whispered.

Jane looked up at this and smiled, "Hey at least it's only you people think I'm in a relationship with, it would actually be a bad thing if it was anyone else but you're my best friend so ... whatever!" she gave Maura her best Rizzoli smile and Maura rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe that's your upside." Maura laughed, shaking her head.

That evening, Jane had Maura on her left hand side and Christina to her right. Christina kept making snide comments and smirking at Jane. Half an hour into the meal, Maura took Jane's hand under the table and squeezed it. "Don't let her get to you." She whispered.

"So I didn't see a spare bed in your room Jane, where's Maura sleeping?" She asked with an air of innocence after the main meal had been cleared away. Jane groaned and dropped her head to the table in front of her.

"Jane and Maura share her bed, don't you sweetheart?" Mrs Rizzoli answered as Jane clearly wasn't going to.

"Interesting." Christina smirked.

"Why's that Christina?" Mrs Rizzoli asked as she cut into the cake in front of her.

Just as Christina was about to speak again, Jane stood abruptly, "I'm not hungry Ma, I'm going upstairs."

Everyone watched as Jane stormed from the room. Maura spun around to face Christina. "Really?" She asked, furiously. "Do you get that much satisfaction from making her miserable to boost your own deflated self esteem?" Maura then looked to Mrs Rizzoli, "Christina is under the impression that Jane and I share more than a deep friendship because we're so close. _That's_ why she was asking about our sleeping arrangements. Please may I be excused so I can go and check on Jane?" Maura asked and sped from the room at a nod from the stunned Mrs Rizzoli. She opened the door to Jane's room to see her lying on the bed, looking up at her ceiling. Maura didn't say anything but moved to lie down next to Jane. There was silence for a few minutes.

"Was Ma mad I left?" she asked.

"No, I believe she was too stunned that I shouted at Christina." Jane turned her head to look at Maura.

"Really? You did?" she asked. Maura nodded and relayed what she said.

Jane smiled, "It's about time her parent's realise how vindictive she really is." There were a few more moments of silence that were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in," Jane called. Mrs Rizzoli came in and sat on the foot of the bed.

"Jane why didn't you tell me what your cousin was saying to you? Aunt Julia and me have tried to stop her from some of the awful things she's done to you in the past but we had no idea. Christina has just been made to tell us what that awful girl at school said to you and that she's been saying that too. Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because it wasn't true so why bring attention to it. Besides I don't care if that's the worst possible thing they can think of to call me. But when Christina says it ... well she's family and she shouldn't be such a bitch."

"Language, Jane." Maura admonished quietly. Jane rolled her eyes but smiled.

"You don't have to worry, your Aunt Julia is having a word with her now."

"It's ok Ma, you don't have to do anything, she'll find something else she doesn't like about me. You know how she is." Jane shrugged and Mrs Rizzoli frowned.

"But she's your family, I won't have family trying to upset other family." Mrs Rizzoli turned to Maura, "You're the best friend I could've hoped my daughter would have. I don't care what your actual relationship is ..."

"MA!" Jane interrupted indignantly.

"Because," Mrs Rizzoli said a little louder, "You are both so good for each other."

"Nice Ma, real nice, thanks _so _much for letting us know that."

"Well I'd have to be blind not to see how much you care for each other and however that is I love you both. If it _was_ true I wouldn't want you to think you couldn't tell me."

"Ok Ma, we get it, you'd be cool if we were gay." Jane rolled her eyes and then she grinned evilly, "Do you think we should say we are to Christina, just to see her head explode?"

Maura looked confused. "Why would that make her head explode? I'm not sure that's even possible without some type of incendiary device." She asked cocking her head to one side. Jane and Mrs Rizzoli laughed.

"It's just an expression, Princess." Jane said, "Can I tell Ma about next year?" She asked, suddenly excited. Maura nodded and Jane told her about Maura's parents buying an apartment and then being roommates whist they were at college (albeit different ones).

"Maura, are you sure your parents are ok with this?" Mrs Rizzoli asked.

"Yes Mrs Rizzoli, they asked me to ask Jane, I don't think they want me living on my own."

"Well then I think that will be great! But I insist on teaching you both to cook this summer."

"Ma." Jane groaned but Maura smiled, she would love to be able to cook some of Mrs Rizzoli's great recipes.

Later that evening everyone was playing monopoly. The teams were Jane's parents, Jane's Aunt and Uncle, Jane and Maura, Frankie and Tommy and then Jane's cousins. Maura kept whispering instructions to Jane and pretty soon they were winning.

"But you never win monopoly!" Tommy was sulking after they had been made bankrupt, leaving Jane and Maura the winners.

"Yeah but today I have my good luck charm!" Jane grinned and gave Maura a sideways hug.

"It's just business management with a little luck." Maura shrugged.

"I say we play scrabble next," Jane grinned, "I bet Maura'll be awesome at that."

"No more games tonight." Mrs Rizzoli said, "It's after eleven and Maura has almost fallen asleep twice already."

"It's just the jet lag, Mrs Rizzoli, it's ok." Maura yawned.

"Nonsense, all of you, off to bed now."

With many grumbles and 'goodnights' they all headed upstairs to bed. As Maura was waiting for Jane to finish brushing her teeth, she double checked that the present had arrived safely. The Rizzoli's normally decorated their tree two weeks before Christmas but Jane had told her mother that Maura had never decorated a tree so they were waiting for Maura before they decorated it (which they were doing the next day) and she wanted to put their presents under the tree. She had also brought a decoration from Harrods on her way through London with the year on it. She left the presents in her bag and pulled out the decoration. She wanted to show Jane to see if she thought her parents would like it. She put the decoration on the bedside table on her side and got into bed. Jane's book now was _Emma_. She started to read this whilst she was waiting. She had barely read the first page when Jane walked in and got into bed as well.

"So I got your mother something." Maura smiled and showed Jane the bauble.

Jane grinned as she spun it around in Maura's hand. "She'll love that, she'll feel so posh because she's got something from Harrods."

"Good," Maura smiled, "I wanted to get her something she would like." She put the bauble back down, along with Jane's book and turned off the light. They both settled down in silence. After a few moments Jane spoke, "I'm really looking forward to next year, Princess."

"Me too." Maura smiled. Jane reached out and pulled Maura against her and they quickly fell asleep.

The next day was hectic. They spent the day decorating the whole Rizzoli house in colourful garlands and Christmas decorations. As Jane had predicted, her mother loved the bauble and it got pride of place on the tree. Mrs Rizzoli had a stocking made for Maura and Jane had told her that the tiara that was stitched above her name had been her idea. This was hung up next to Jane's on the fireplace. Jane and Maura then spent the rest of the day making cookies and mince pies in the kitchen with Mrs Rizzoli, although Jane had to be sent to the shop for more flour when a flour fight had erupted between Jane and Maura. After they were finished and the kitchen was cleaned, they both had showers before heading back downstairs for dinner. After dinner Mrs Rizzoli and Aunt Julia had some coffee in the kitchen whilst everyone else gathered in the living room to watch a Christmas movie. Jane and Maura shared the chair as they had done all summer and the mother's brought in hot chocolate for everyone. After Maura had finished hers, she craved some water so she stood and padded quietly into the hall and towards the kitchen, as she reached to push open the door she heard her name and froze.

"...lovely girl that Maura." Aunt Julia said.

"Yes she is, she's such a pleasure to have around and Jane is always so calm with her near and patient too. Do you remember when she was little? All the boys wouldn't play with her because she was a girl and all the girls wouldn't give her the time of day because she wanted to play baseball and climb tree's instead of playing with Barbies and she started to get in trouble at school so we took the family away to that country club?" Mrs Rizzoli asked.

"Yes I remember, you were so worried about her because she was angry all the time." Aunt Julia replied.

"Yes and then that summer she met Maura. I tell you I've never seen such a change in anyone. They spent the whole two weeks together, she taught Jane some fencing moves and they sat and talked for hours and Janey got to show her how to play baseball. The poor girl had wanted to learn but was too afraid of what her parents would say. Then we left and at first I was worried she would go back to her angry self but instead she wrote to Maura and then when Maura sent her that quote for her birthday, 'believe you can and you're halfway there' remember how she says it all the time?"

"Yes I always wondered where that came from, it was like she just started saying it."

"Exactly well she started studying more and really went out for sports in a way she never had before. Maura encouraged her studying and even told her the best books to use that explained the situation better for Jane and although she still wants to be a police officer, she now has a plan, she knows how she's going to get there."

There was a pause.

"Angela, don't think I'm going to be awful about this, God knows I think as long as people are happy ... but are they together like that?"

Mrs Rizzoli sighed. "I have no idea Julia, they say not and I believe them for now, they are so young after all, but whether that will change when they realise what a close relationship they actually have ... I don't know."

"Well I wish Christina would find a friend as nice as Maura, she brought a friend home the other day who had a lip piercing and that awful Jennifer girl,"

There was a laugh, Maura gathered herself and walked into the kitchen, smiling widely at the two before grabbing a bottle of water, waving bye and heading for her seat. She sat down and threw her legs back over Jane's (who grunted in mock pain). She leaned her head onto Jane's shoulder and whispered to her.

"Thanks."

Jane's grip on her shin tightened for a second in a soothing gesture. "For what?" she whispered back.

"Just for always being there."

Jane paused for a moment before replying, "Ditto."


	9. Chapter 9 - Rizzoli Christmas

A.N. Ready for more Christmas fun? ;)

_It isn't the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it. - Quoted in __The Angels' Little Instruction Book__ by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994_

Chapter Nine - Rizzoli Christmas

The next morning they woke up to heavy snowfall and the Rizzoli's and Maura spent a happy day making snowmen and snow angels, sledging and having a snowball fight. It didn't take long for Christina to throw a snowball in Maura's face, it was more a handful of snow than a pressed down snowball so it didn't really hurt but Jane took off after her and stuffed handfuls of snow in her cousin's jacket and on her face yelling, "Apologise!" until Maura ran over. She put a gloved hand on Jane's shoulder and pulled her away. "I'm not hurt Jane ... see?" Jane stopped her attack on Christina and let Maura lead her away. Without a backwards glance Maura led them back inside. "I think dry clothes would be a good idea." Maura continued.

When they reached Jane's bedroom, Jane reached forward and gently run her thumb across the red mark on her friend's face. "I'm sorry about her." she sighed as she dropped her hand.

"It's not your fault Jane, it was a snow fight, I'm almost certain that the idea of the game is to throw snow at your opponents." She gave Jane a lopsided smile and Jane laughed gently at the small joke.

She shivered. "I think you're right about the dry clothes Princess, why don't you hit the shower first?"

"I don't think it's necessary to _hit_ the shower but I will take one." She responded, a little confused but grabbed a change of clothes and went into Jane's ensuite.

The next few days went by very quickly Jane had told everyone who listened that she would be staying with Maura and had spun her around again in a tight hug when she had been told that she was having cable put in for Jane.

By Christmas Eve the only part of being at the Rizzoli's that Maura wasn't enjoying was having Christina around. She stared at Jane and Maura all the time as if staring at them would help her try and figure them out. She had also found out that Jane's car actually belonged to Maura and she allowed Jane to use it whilst she was at boarding school. She didn't let Christina's snide remarks that only couples shared cars bother her and she and Jane escaped into the kitchen to help Mrs Rizzoli prepare Christmas Eve dinner. They were in charge of peeling the veg and whilst they had fun, her hand did start cramping after a while.

Mrs Rizzoli decided to separate Maura and Jane from Christina to avoid any upset during Christmas Eve dinner. This turned out to be a wise decision as Christina decided to make a very loud comment about them but Maura's stealthily put her hand gently on Jane's knee. Jane had quickly glanced at Maura before turning her attention to the conversation Frankie had quickly started.

After dinner they had all changed into pyjamas and stayed up until midnight. Maura had been sat in her usual placed with Jane on the chair and was watching the clock. She had never had a proper family Christmas before and she had been enjoying the experience. Of all her travels with her parents and all the wonderful places she had visited her favourite place was right here with the Rizzoli's, with Jane. She rested her head on Jane's shoulder and closed her eyes. She knew Jane would wake her at midnight. At midnight they all wished each other a Merry Christmas and everyone had one gift to open. Maura was surprised when Mrs Rizzoli handed her one too.

"Thank you." She smiled and hugged the woman.

"Don't cry Princess, you'll set Ma off." Jane joked as she stood and put a supportive hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Sorry." Maura sniffed as she released Mrs Rizzoli and gave them both a wide smile.

"Well come on you two, open your presents and then it's bed time."

They sat down on their chair and both pulled the paper off their presents, Jane with vigour whilst Maura followed at a more sedate pace. They both grinned at the writing sets they had received. Maura's had little tiara's on it, similar to the set that she had received a few years before whilst Jane's had little stars.

"I know that you'll probably only have to write to each other for another few months now but I'd thought you'd like these." Mrs Rizzoli said.

"Thanks Ma, this is really great." Jane smiled at her mother.

"Yes thank you Mrs Rizzoli." Maura smiled and then smirked at Jane as she noticed her friend's paper was lined whilst hers was not.

"I see your mother knows about your awful handwriting as well." She teased.

"Hey! My handwriting is an art." Jane laughed, "Besides you don't seem to have a problem reading my writing, do you?" Jane asked.

Maura looked at her quickly, accurately hearing the slight hurt disguised in her voice that had gone unnoticed by everyone else in the room. "No Janey, I have no issues with reading your writing."

"Right everyone, no more talking! Bedtime!" Mrs Rizzoli said loudly over the general chatter in the room. Jane grumbled but stood up and held her hand out to help Maura to her feet as well.

"Come on Princess, we'll have a busy day tomorrow." Jane told her and they made their way to bed. When they finally lay down in their usual positions, Jane took a deep breath and whispered, "Merry Christmas Princess."

"Merry Christmas Janey."

The next morning Maura woke up slowly to feel Jane's arms still wrapped around her and the gentle breathing told her Jane was still sleeping. Maura loved mornings like this where she woke up before Jane and she could just lie quietly and feel content. This feeling had been foreign to her until she had met Jane. Even when her parents had hugged her as a child, she had never felt so ... safe. To Maura, Jane's mere presence was soothing. After a few minutes, she felt Jane stir and then she stretched one arm back. "Morning." She yawned, "Did you sleep ok?"

"Yes I did." She paused as she looked at the clock on Jane's bedside. It read 08:23. "Do you think anyone else is up yet?"

"Ma definitely will be." Jane said, wrapping both her arms back around Maura.

"We should go and help with breakfast." Maura suggested, placing her hands on top of Jane's.

"Don't wanna." Jane whined, "Comfy."

"Don't you want your Christmas present?" She asked, knowing this would motivate her friend. As the words registered, Jane jumped out of bed and started pulling Maura with her.

"Come on! Ma needs help with breakfast!" Jane grinned. When they walked into the kitchen, Mrs Rizzoli was mixing pancake mix. She looked up to see her daughter dragging Maura into the room. She couldn't help but think how good Jane was for Maura. After she had spent just a few short days in Jane's company, she was much less highly strung than when she arrived.

"Good morning girls and Merry Christmas!" Jane and Maura returned the greeting before Maura added.

"How can we help with breakfast Mrs Rizzoli?" Maura asked. Jane hadn't let go of her hand yet and she didn't want to draw attention to the fact so she stayed stood next to Jane whilst she asked.

"Could you start the coffee Maura and Janey, I need your help with the eggs."

Everyone set about their tasks as the snow drifted past the windows. It wasn't long until Frankie came running in wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, soon followed by the rest of the family. They all had breakfast, even Maura eating more than her usual cereal with fruit. It was ten o'clock by the time they were all in the living room, opening their presents. Maura sat by Jane, smiling as she pulled paper from present after present.

After a few minutes, Mrs Rizzoli gasped. "Maura! This is incredible." She had got Mrs Rizzoli some cooking lessons at the local academy for her and a friend to learn to cook proper French cuisine.

"Last time I was here you said you'd love to learn French cuisine. I talked to our chef and he said this was the best place in Boston." She smiled, looking a little unsure at Jane, wondering if she'd made the wrong decision but the hug Mrs Rizzoli gave to her instantly quelled her fears.

"It's wonderfully thoughtful Maura and I think it's about time you called me Angela now, after all you're practically family."

"I ... I ... I'll do my best to do that Mrs ... Angela." Maura said, blushing as she almost immediately fell back to calling her Mrs Rizzoli.

Before anyone could say anything, Tommy yelled, "No way! Tickets to the Patriots!" he grinned at Maura, "This is awesome, thanks Maura."

"You're welcome." She smiled back,

Everyone got back to opening their presents as Maura opened toiletries (that she would never use) from Jane's brothers and one of the presents from elder Rizzoli's being a t-shirt saying 'I heart Boston'.

"You spoil my family." Jane whispered, smiling softly at her.

"I like to." She grinned, "Besides you haven't opened yours yet."

Frank Sr got an engraved hipflask and Frankie got an autographed baseball by his favourite player from Maura. Jane hid her present from Maura in her pile and as they made their way upstairs with their presents (Maura got some other wrap ups from the Rizzoli's) when Maura asked her a question, "Did you not like your present?"

"I want to open it upstairs, I've got yours there too, I just didn't want Christina around when we opened our gifts."

Maura smiled widely, she had been worried when Jane hadn't told her if she liked her gift. They walked into Jane's room and she closed the door behind them as Jane dropped her pile of presents on the desk. She then pulled a large wrapped item from under her bed and handed it to Maura.

"I hope you like it." Jane smiled shyly and Maura eagerly pulled off the wrapping paper. She gasped as she opened it. Inside was a handmade wooden box made off what looked like Cherrywood. It was a simple design and had a few elegant carvings in the corners of each side and the lid. Also on the lid was a picture frame inserted so it was part of the lid. The picture there was from the summer before. She was sat on Jane's knee in their chair and they had both fallen asleep. Her head was resting on Jane's shoulder as it often did when she fell asleep next to Jane and here she could see that Jane's head had fallen onto hers. She opened the lid and inside was another origami figure. This one was a star.

"Janey." She sighed, tears of happiness falling from her eyes. "This is beautiful, where did you get it?"

"I made it." Jane admitted with a modest warm smile which gave her a much gentler look than her usual Rizzoli smirk. "I've spent most of last year trying to make you a new box because when I saw your old one it was already nearly full so I figure it's gotta be close to bursting now. Anyway Mr Davies agreed to help me make a personal item as long as I aced woodwork which I did by the way." She smiled proudly at Maura who returned the grin. "We practiced the engraving and experimented with different woods and joints but I settled on this ... I really hope you like it."

"Like it? ... Janey I love it. It's perfect."

"Did you see the message inside the lid?"

"No." Maura opened the lid again and read out. "'Dear Princess, here's a new special place to keep all your memories, love Janey.' Oh Jane." She set the box down and pulled Jane into a tight hug. "How do you always do the best thing to make me feel like I'm special?"

"Because you are special Maura, you're a great friend and a wonderful confidant."

They both smiled, "You next." Maura grinned and walked to pick Jane's present from her from her desk. She handed Jane the package and said. "Open the small one first." Jane looked at the package and realised there was a smaller box on top, she ripped the paper off this box and opened it eagerly. Inside was an intricately woven thin red leather bracelet with a small metal disc tied on to it with a small symbol etched onto it.

"It's the Chinese symbol for friendship." Maura told Jane, "I saw the bracelet when I was on vacation with my parents for the last few weeks of summer."

"You went to Turkey didn't you?"

"Yes." There was another pause as Jane picked out the bracelet. Maura had a sudden urge to fill the silence. "If you don't like it then you don't have ..."

"Shh Princess this is great. Help me tie it?" She asked, holding out her right wrist and the bracelet. Maura smiled and obliged.

"I thought this would be ok, I know you don't wear jewellery but this isn't too girly."

"No it's really great, I really love this Maur."

"Ok so open your main present." Maura encouraged. Jane ripped open the rest of the paper and her jaw dropped.

"Maura ..."

"I know you can't have it yet because we've not moved into our place yet but you play so beautifully despite your insistence that it's something too girly and I know you enjoy it and that you get frustrated with the keys that stick on the piano you have of your Grandmother's."

"I can't believe you did this." Jane said, still in shock. Maura had bought Jane a piano to go into the apartment. The box she had opened had pictures of the real thing. "It's too much Maura." Jane said.

"I think the value of the beautiful box you've made is far greater than the monetary value of ..." Maura started to say but Jane silenced her with a wave of her hand.

"You got this because you know how much I love to play not because of the cost and that's what I love about it ..." She sighed and fixed Maura with a searching look. "You won't take this back and get a keyboard instead will you?" Maura shook her head. "I didn't think so." Jane smiled and then looked again at the letter and the pictures. "I love it, I can't wait to get my hands on it."

"Open your last present." Maura prompted.

"Oh come on, you really don't have to get me anything else."

"I know but I wanted to." Maura smiled. Jane frowned at her and pulled the paper from the final item. This was a much different type of present. It was a new hoody from the local community college. "I wanted to get you your first piece of college clothing." Maura smiled and Jane grinned back as she pulled the hoody over her head. She then held her arms out with a wide smile.

"What d'ya think?"

"Very you." Maura smiled back. Jane pulled the hoody off and hung it on a hanger and stared at it for a moment.

"I can't wait to join the academy." She told Maura, "I didn't tell you but I had considered going straight to the academy but I want to go to at least some kind of college, also the chances of promotion are higher with a degree."

"It makes sense that you would want to," Maura nodded, "But sometimes you have to think about the long run." She smiled widely. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks." Jane grinned back, "And besides you've told me enough times about the whole 'long run' thing, I think I'm starting to pay attention."

"You always pay attention." Maura told her adamantly. Jane just smiled and fell backwards onto her bed.

"Man I can't wait until tomorrow." Jane sighed, Maura looked puzzled and asked her why. "Because my delightful cousin is leaving."

"Does that mean your Aunt Julia is leaving too?" Maura liked Jane's Aunt, she really had taken the time to get to know Maura. Maura hadn't told Jane about the conversation she had overheard yet but she wasn't sure how to bring it up.

"Yes." Jane replied as she looked at Maura. "What's going on in that big brain of yours?" Jane asked.

"I'll miss her." Maura replied, dodging the question and knowing straight away that Jane had seen through her attempt at not answering.

"Come on Maur, you know you can't lie, tell me what's wrong?"

Maura took a deep breath and told Jane the truth. "I overheard a conversation between your mother and Aunt the other day and I'm worried that you'll think I was spying when I tell you."

"Maura, you're incapable of deception of any kind, spying included ... out with it!"

"They were talking about us and then they were talking about before we met and why your family went to the country club that summer ... you told me about how the girls disliked you but you didn't tell me about you being so angry all the time."

"It hurt Maura, that's why I was so angry, I felt like I didn't belong anywhere and then I met you and you showed me that I didn't have to make myself into anything else but what I already was. After that summer it didn't hurt so much that I got picked last and then you sent me that quote. I basically live my life by it. By that Christmas I'd had another growth spurt and I start playing sports more and I lost my puppy fat ..."

"Jane! You were _not_ ..." Maura interrupted.

"Yes I was Maur." Jane laughed, "But it's ok I was a kid and even if I was still overweight it wouldn't bother me as much anymore ... well," Jane looked thoughtful, "I can't honestly say that, everyone has aspects about themselves they wish they could change, but my point about what you heard is that I didn't tell you about how angry I had been because it was irrelevant. The point was that I wasn't given a chance just like you." Jane pulled Maura into a hug. "Besides isn't it a good thing that you calm me down?"

They were both smiling as they pulled away. "You make me want to try new things, I guess we really are opposites." Maura smiled with some tears in her eyes.

"Aww Princess, please don't cry, you know I can't stand it when you cry." She brushed the tears away.

"You know I can't control the reaction between my amygdala ..."

"And your lacrimal glands." Jane smiled softly, "I know, I know."

There were a few quiet moments where Jane and Maura stood in a loose comfortable hug until Frankie, yelling in the hallway jarred them apart.

"So I haven't asked you where this place is that we're sharing." Jane said, curiously as they sat down.

"I honestly don't know yet, my father wants to surprise me. We spoke last month when I told him about BCU next year. He asked me if you'd be willing to share and when I told him I'm sure you would, he questioned me about everything you like as well as what I would want. Father said it would be a good investment."

"I still can't believe how casually you can discuss huge amounts of money like that." Jane gave her a crooked smiled and a gentle shake of her head. Maura's face fell.

"I can stop if it makes you uncomfortable."

"With anyone else it probably would but with you ..." Jane shrugged, "I know you, you just say stuff as it is, you don't about money to make people feel like crap."

"Language, Jane." Maura scolded, Jane just smirked in response to that.

"So it's not going to have a swimming pool and its own baseball diamond is it?" Jane asked.

"I seriously doubt Father would buy a property with those specifications but I can call and ..." Maura trailed off as she looked at Jane's face. "You were joking weren't you?"

"Yes." Jane laughed. Maura hit her with her pillow, "Hey!" Jane exclaimed and jumped forward and started to tickle Maura. They both laughed and Maura straddled Jane and continued to hit her with the pillow until the door opened and Mrs Rizzoli came in. They all froze until Jane said quickly. "So not what it looks like Ma."

Mrs Rizzoli just cleared her throat and said. "Good girl Maura, Jane thinks she's brilliant so a few pillow hits to the head might help." Jane's jaw dropped as Maura giggled. "When you two are quite finished," She smirked, "I need your help making dinner, but I want you both showered and dressed in casual clothes so you don't get your best clothes ruined."

"Come on Ma, you should know by now that Maura doesn't have any casual clothes." Jane smirked at Maura.

"Then you lend her some." Mrs Rizzoli said, "I need you both downstairs in half an hour." With that she turned on her heel and left the room. Maura slid from her position on top of Jane and Jane jumped to her feet and rummaged through her drawer and pulled out two pairs of jogging bottoms and two t-shirts.

"You jump in the shower first, Maur. You take longer to get sorted." And she gave Maura one of each of the recently liberated items. Maura dressed after her shower and looked at the t-shirt before she pulled it on. She laughed to herself. It said 'Future Super Cop'. Jane grinned as she walked out of the bathroom. "You think this is funny?" Maura raised an eyebrow.

"Yup!" Jane jumped up and ran into the bathroom. Maura rolled her eyes and went about drying her hair. When Jane emerged, she was wearing a t-shirt that simply said 'Believe'.


	10. Chapter 10 - Nonna

A.N. Ok so I'm afraid I have good news and bad news. I'll get the bad out of the way, I'm gonna have to take a slight hiatus in posting until Monday the 3rd for RL issues but for that week I'll update the Monday, Friday and Saturday

Good news is that I did at least post the last of this Christmas bit before taking the week or so off from posting ;) I know that's a weak upside but still! Anyways I hope you all enjoy this and please guys remember this is a marathon story not a sprint so as much as I'd love to have a story where our girls get together as teenagers (and I might write one in the future) nothing is going to happen romantically for about a decade their time ;) Just a little teaser for things to come! Please review guys, it really makes my day to read them (good and constructive )

_Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. - Janice Maeditere_

Chapter Ten - Nonna

They made their way downstairs and went about helping Mrs Rizzoli with making Christmas dinner.

"What time is Nonna coming over Ma?"

"Your Uncle Dan is picking her up any minute, she wants to be here early, I think she wants to make sure I'm not ruining Christmas dinner." Mrs Rizzoli sighed and Jane coughed quietly, hiding her obvious amusement.

"Why would Jane's Nonna think you'll ruin dinner, you're an excellent cook." Maura asked, confused.

"Nonna just likes things to be certain way Maur but only when it come to food, otherwise she's great."

"Nonna Rizzoli is a force of nature," Frank Snr said as he entered the kitchen, "And she'll be here in ten minutes Ange."

"Thanks for the warning Frank dear." She smiled and he gave her a soft kiss.

"Nonna Rizzoli didn't like Ma but she's changed her opinion as she's gotten to know her."

The talk of Nonna Rizzoli stopped as they continued working. Maura knew that Jane thought the world of her Nonna and that she was the only member of the Rizzoli adults that had told Jane he had made the right choice in choosing to join the police. She wanted to meet the person who had influenced Jane so much. She was also the person who had introduced Jane to field hockey, when her favourite sport to watch and play was baseball. It wasn't long before the front door opened. There came the sound of people talking in the hallway and the voices then got louder as they got closer.

"... wanna help, I'm old not useless!" came a voice. Then there was an old lady stood in the doorway. Mrs Rizzoli wiped her hands on the edge of her apron before hugging the older woman.

"Sophia, it's great to see you. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you Angela." The lady replied and then turned to Jane.

"Hey there, whirlwind!" She grinned and pulled Jane into a hug, "Merry Christmas."

Maura looked keenly at Jane's Nonna. Jane had clearly got most of her features from her. She had high cheekbones, olive coloured skin and long wavy silver hair. She was tall but had clearly been taller in her youth. Right now she was an inch or two short of Jane's five foot ten inches. She had the warm brown eyes that she was used to seeing in Jane's face too and as she made her silent study, those same eyes, both sets, turned to face her.

"Nonna, this is my best friend, Maura Isles." Jane said and beckoned her forward. She stood close to Jane and offered her hand to the eldest Rizzoli.

"It's nice to finally meet you Mrs Rizzoli." Maura smiled politely.

"None of that, you call me Nonna, everyone does." Nonna smiled and shook Maura's hand.

"I ..." She looked unsure at Jane who just smiled and nodded.

"It's a waste of time to argue, Princess."

"I can see why you call her that, whirlwind," Nonna smiled kindly, "You can't mistake class even if she is wearing your t-shirt _amore mio_" she smirked. "So tell me Maura, what do you think of our Jane here?"

Before Maura could reply, Jane interrupted. "Maura can't lie Nonna, she goes nasal nagel ..."

"Vasovagal, Jane, I think she's trying to tell you I faint if I try to lie." Maura said.

"So why can't she answer that question then Jane?" Nonna challenged Jane who held her hands up in defeat and Nonna turned to Maura with a questioning raise of her eyebrows.

"Well Jane is my best friend. I think she's wonderful and very kind. She's also very protective and swears a little too much."

Jane rolled her eyes and Nonna laughed. "I like this one Jane, she's a_ cuore vero,_" she said, "Jane's told me all about you of course, she really thinks the world of you."

Jane blushed at these words but continued to peel the veg.

"Well I think the world of her too." She grinned.

"Have you been enjoying yourself this Christmas?" Nonna asked.

"Yes I love it here, holidays here are very ... different to what I'm used to. I definitely prefer the Rizzoli way."

"I understand you're graduating as well this year. Jane called and told me the other day, she's very proud of you."

"Nonna!" Jane protested but Maura just replied.

"Yes, she told me and she know I'm proud of her too. She's chosen a very noble but tough career path and I know she's strong enough to make it to Detective."

Mrs Rizzoli sighed, "I still think it's too dangerous."

"Nonsense Angela, we all know that if you had your way, Jane would marry someone and be a housewife like you and I were and that's fine for those that wanted that, we both did, but Jane wants excitement and a career. It is dangerous but she has every reason to stay safe."

"Yeah Ma, plus I'm starting kickboxing this year too." Jane tried to reassure her mother.

"Can I do that too?" Maura asked, Jane turned to look at her.

"You want to learn kickboxing?" She asked.

"Yes a self defence class would compliment my yoga classes nicely."

"Yoga?" Jane pulled a face.

"You should start yoga with me Jane. I haven't started yet but I plan to during the summer."

"No way!" Jane exclaimed.

"Please Jane." Maura looked sadly at her.

"Nope." Jane said, trying not to look at her, she knew she's cave if she looked at her friend. "Don't look at me like that." Jane said as her eyes found Maura's unbidden. "Come on Princess, you don't fight fair." she whined.

"All I said was please." Maura smiled, innocently.

"Oh fine! But you _have_ to go to kickboxing with me too!" she reasoned.

"Of course." Maura replied happily. They were interrupted by Nonna laughing loudly.

"Well you certainly have the whirlwind here wrapped around your little finger Maura." She laughed at the shocked expression on Jane's face. "Oh please Jane, like you hadn't realised."

"Well ... I ..." Jane frowned, "I guess I am." She shrugged and looked at Maura who was a little unsure how Jane would react. "Aww don't look like that, you're wrapped around my finger too ... how else did I get you to agree to wear that t-shirt with no complaints!"

Everyone in the kitchen laughed at this and they all got back to work, including Nonna Rizzoli, who insisted on helping to cook. All the family kept milling in and out of the kitchen, saying hi to Nonna Rizzoli. After about an hour, Christina came into the kitchen.

"Hello Nonna." she said coldly, "Merry Christmas."

"Ah," Nonna Rizzoli said, as she looked at her granddaughter, "I wondered when you would come and say hi _il mio rosa piccolo_, how are you?" Nonna asked, with an edge to her voice.

"I'm ok." Came the short reply.

"Have you made some new friends recently?" Nonna asked, staring Christina in the eye. Maura knew that Nonna had been to talk to Christina a few weeks before she came to stay at Jane's house for Christmas. Christina has got into some trouble at school after the group of girls she hung around with decided to hand out leaflets at school that made fun of several different students for a variety of reasons including their hairstyles, race and their sexuality. Jane had told her that they had not included her in these leaflets as it seemed Christina's family loyalty had at least extended that far. Nonna had told Christina that as a Rizzoli she had to do better, especially in how she treated other people.

"Maura, _cuero vero_, tell me? Has Christina been spiteful or mean to you or to Jane since you arrived?" Nonna asked.

Maura's jaw dropped for a few seconds and she looked nervously at Jane who took a few steps forward and was at Maura's side, slightly in front of her, as if shielding her from Christina's angry gaze.

"Nonna, no!" Jane said, firmly. "If you wanna know, ask me."

"I'm asking Maura," Nonna replied with a steady voice and looked at her, "Well _cuero vero_?

"She ... hasn't been welcoming." Maura tried to evade the question. Jane grabbed her hand.

"Not exactly what I wanted to hear but it's a start."

Maura gulped as she squeezed Jane's hand.

"Come on Nonna, it's Christmas and Maura's first real family one, can we just forget it?" Nonna looked at the pleading look on Jane's face, the embarrassed one on Maura's and the angry one on Christina's.

"You always take Jane's side anyway," Christina said heatedly, "I wouldn't expect anything else when it comes to her girlfriend." Christina spat looking harassed.

Nonna softened slightly at the look. She knew her granddaughters had never really got along and that Christina was usually the one to start the problems between them. She also knew that, as much as she shouldn't have favourites, Jane was definitely the favourite grandchild. She realised that Christina had picked up on this now and maybe that was one of the reason she was acting out, she knew she had to speak to Christina in private about her behaviour. When she did this in front of people it only served to make the situation worse.

"Come on _il mio rosa piccolo_. I think you and I should have a little chat." She took the girl by her hand and they walked out onto the back porch, closing the door behind them.

There was quiet in the kitchen until Mrs Rizzoli finally spoke. "I'm proud of you Janey, always stick up for Maura like that ... ok?" Jane nodded and squeezed Maura's hand one final time before releasing it. "I love your honesty Maura dear, I'll have to remember that when I want to know things my daughter doesn't want to tell me." Mrs Rizzoli smirked.

"Ma! You can't do that!" Jane exclaimed. "That's taking advantage of her!"

"Jane, I was joking about that part." She rolled her eyes, "Besides I can get you to tell me things yourself eventually, it just takes longer, now let's finish getting this dinner ready."

Jane dropped what she was about to say and they got back to making dinner which was then later enjoyed by the entire Rizzoli family. Maura was a little overwhelmed by all of Jane's very loud and very Italian cousin's, aunts and uncles but Jane never left her side, even quietly explaining things to her when she didn't understand. After Nonna and Christina had come in from outside, they both had red eyes and Christina was subdued for the rest of the day. After dinner they all sung carols whilst Jane played the old beat up piano. Maura had asked her to do this after her mother had given up begging, she had looked at her and with a quiet please, Jane had relented and pulled Maura with her to sit on the other half of the piano stool. After about an hour of this, Jane's hands were cramping so Maura took over and started playing contemporary songs, whilst the family spoke quietly to each other. It was a late night that night so when Jane got into before Maura, she fell straight to sleep. A few minutes later, Maura walked into the bedroom turning off the bathroom light and seeing Jane lying peacefully asleep, she smiled and carefully slid into bed beside her. She turned off the table lamp scooted closer. In her sleep Jane reached for her friend and Maura rolled into Jane's side. She hesitated as Jane mumbled in her sleep but then wrapped her arm around Jane's waist and rested her head on her shoulder. She let out a deep breath, smiled and closed her eyes. She fell asleep quickly.

The next morning Jane woke up first. She blinked in the morning light and tried to stretch but realised she was pinned to the bed and there was a weight down her left side. She looked down and smiled as she realised their sleeping position had changed. She hadn't remembered Maura being in bed when she had fallen asleep and this was certainly different to how she normally slept when Maura was there but she decided this was comfy too. Maura had her head resting on her left shoulder and her arm was wrapped around her waist, pulling them closer together. She had also rested her left leg between her own and she could feel Maura's breath on her collar bone. There was something very soothing about being able to feel her friend's breath next to her. As she lay there, just enjoying the moment, she felt Maura stir against her.

"Morning." She whispered into Maura's hair.

"Good morning." Maura mumbled. They both stood up and went about their morning routine, neither feeling the need to mention their new sleeping position. When they went downstairs it was to Aunt Julia and Mrs Rizzoli standing cooking breakfast. They all exchanged morning greetings and Jane and Maura sat at the dining table as Aunt Julia turned to face them.

"So Jane what did Maura get you?" She asked with a smile. Jane told her about the bracelet and the hoody but then paused. She wasn't sure how her mother would react to the third gift.

"She also kinda got me a piano." Jane said and she winced as Mrs Rizzoli turned around and sharply said.

"What?!"

"Well Jane loves to play, I thought that it would be nice for her to be able to play whenever she wants and ..." Maura stepped in and tried to explain.

"But that's an awful lot of money ..." Mrs Rizzoli replied but she trailed off at the steady look Maura was giving her.

"She's my best friend." She stated simply. Maura knew the Rizzoli's were sensitive about money. She knew her trust fund probably had more money in it than they would ever see and she wished she could share it with them but knew they would never accept. Mrs Rizzoli seemed to accept what she said easily though and although she did at first look like she was going to protest, she didn't.

The next week ran by quickly and before they knew it, New Years Eve had arrived and they were celebrating by watching the ball drop. At midnight they all hugged and after a round of sparkling apple juice, they all headed to bed, where Maura couldn't help but frown as she realised she was flying back to the UK on the 3rd, she only had tomorrow with the Rizzoli's, as she had told her parents she would be back at home on the 2nd.

"What's wrong Princess?" Jane yawned as she noticed the look on her friends face.

"I've just realised tomorrow is my last full day here." Maura told her. Jane paused as she too realised this and pulled Maura tight against her.

"Don't worry, it won't be long until you're back here for good and then you'll be sick of me." Jane mumbled against her neck.

"I will never be sick of you." Maura whispered, "You're my best and only real friend."

"Other people's loss is my gain." Jane said firmly. Maura didn't reply to this. After all their years of being friends, she still did not really understand why Jane thought so much of her and why she was such a good friend but she tried not to question this as often as she questioned everything else in her life. "Stop it." Jane said restlessly.

"Stop what?" Maura asked, as far as she was aware, she hadn't been doing anything.

"Stop thinking, you're all tense." Jane muttered as she wriggled to get closer. Maura melted against Jane. "Better." Jane smiled sleepily.

"Night Janey."

"Night Princess."


	11. Chapter 11 - Shipping Back To Boston

A.N. Ok, I'm really sorry about the delay but I hope you like this chapter. Did nobody like Nonna?

_What lies behind us, and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. - Ralph Waldo Emerson_

Chapter Eleven - Shipping Back To Boston

Maura tried to hold tightly to the next day. She found herself, illogically, wishing for time to slow down and the next thing she knew she was back at her parent's house saying goodbye to Jane again. She spent dinner with her parents having a discussion with her father whilst her mother was silent. She went to bed immediately after, sensing her mother's anger about something. She decided to try out a suggestion of Jane's as she heard her mother angrily say something to her father that ended with her name. She picked up her CD player and quickly put the headphones on, turning the volume up much louder than she normally did and went about making sure that everything was packed. About an hour later, she hesitantly pulled the headphones off and sighed in relief at the silence. She decided to leave her new box that Jane had made her at the Rizzoli's so it wasn't left where her mother could get her hands on it. She had told Jane that she wanted it for her new room.

The next day her father dropped her off at the airport.

"Maura I want to tell you how proud I am of you. I know it doesn't always appear that way my dear, you've always been so independent, sometimes we forget that you're still a child. Well a young adult now but I hope you know that you can always come to your mother and I for anything." There was a pause. "You know I don't like talking about feelings or any other such nonsense but I do love you. You will always be my little girl."

Maura reached across to give her father a tight hug. "I love you too Daddy." She whispered. "You've given me everything I needed to succeed at whatever I want."

They smiled at each other before he ushered her out of the car and onto the flight. When Maura was back at school, she studied hard and came top of every class despite being the youngest graduate ever of the school. Jane continued to write and sent her a new origami figure for her birthday. This time it was an intricate tortoise made from green paper. She had laughed until she had cried because Jane knew how much she wanted a tortoise. The hardest thing about leaving a place you had spent the better part of a decade at was saying goodbye to the people she liked. The list was short but Mrs Reckless, Mrs Hughen and Lorelai were hard to say goodbye to. There wasn't a graduation ceremony as such, instead they had a leaver's assembly where certain school awards were given. Things like greatest effort, attainment and attendance but then best in subject given by each department as a whole. Maura, of course, had a lot of awards and didn't notice the glares from the more jealous of the students, instead she realised that neither of her parents had made it to the ceremony. She packed and once again made her way back to Hartford. It was July and her father collected her from the airport.

"I have good news Maura." He smiled. "I've found the perfect apartment for you. It's a lovely three bedroomed near your campus. It's a top storey and has a little rooftop garden so your mother and I have bought you a present." He lifted a cover off a glass tank and inside was a tiny tortoise. "I know you always wanted one and I know these little guys need a place to graze."

Maura smiled happily, "His name is Bass." She said firmly. "After the ... well his name is Bass."

"Are you ready for university?" He asked, the rest of the car journey passed quietly as they discussed Maura's potential classes and when they got back to her parent's house she was told that they would be moving on Monday. As soon as dinner was over that night, she asked to use the phone and ran up to her room where she grabbed the handset from her private line.

"Hello?" It was Mr Rizzoli.

"Hi Mr Rizzoli, it's Maura."

"Maura! It's great to hear from you. Are you all done with school now?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes, I'm all ready to start college soon, that's why I'm calling. Is Jane around?" She asked

"Of course." He replied. "Give me a minute." She heard the receiver being put down and Jane's name being called, it wasn't long before she heard running footsteps and the phone being picked up again.

"Maur?" Jane voice spoke.

"Hi Janey, everything ok?" She grinned.

"Yeah, how was your graduation?" Jane asked. Maura hesitated and Jane instantly knew why, she sighed. "They didn't show, did they?" She asked.

"Can we talk about this later, face to face... and when I'm sure no one's listening?" She asked pointedly.

"Sure." Jane said instantly, she knew when to push Maura for answers and when to leave it for a while. This was definitely a 'leave it' moment.

"So father's found an apartment!" She said happily. "The decorators are in this weekend and we can move in on Monday!"

"That's awesome!" Jane yelled. "What time will you be coming to Boston?"

"I don't know yet but listen, father has bought furniture including a bed for each of us, I know you hate your pink canopy." She smiled.

"Bless you." The relief in Jane's voice was palpable. "Still not sure about not paying rent though ..." She started but Maura cut her off.

"I'm not paying rent either, Janey."

"Yeah but it's your folks ..."

"And your family put up with me all the time and won't hear about me paying for anything, besides you ... well, I'm not sure how to put this but you ... protect me? I think that's the best word and I look after you. We're exact opposites in certain things and I will not have my best friend pay to stay with me."

There was a pause on the line. "I think you're right, I won't mention it again ... about paying rent I mean."

"Good and I promise to let you save up your own money for your own car like you were talking about at Christmas. Hey Jane, guess what?"

"What?" Jane asked.

"Daddy got me a tortoise! I've called him Bass."

"No doubt after some scientist or other." Jane said, amused.

"Well ... yes." Maura admitted, sheepishly.

They talked for a while longer until Jane was told it was time for her to start packing by Mrs Rizzoli who had heard the conversation. There was a mini argument where Jane tried to say it was too late that night to pack and she'd start the next day but Mrs Rizzoli was having none of it so Jane said a grumpy goodbye to Maura. The next few days saw Maura packing her room up, getting ready for taking her things to her new home. Most of what Maura owned were clothes and books but by late Sunday it was all ready. Her father had hired movers to get all her things moved and to pick up the furniture from the various stores. Maura had her father's driver take her to Boston first thing and she arrived just after 8am. She knocked on the door and smiled at the excited squeal from Mrs Rizzoli.

"Hi Angela." She greeted as Mrs Rizzoli pulled her into a tight hug.

"Maura dear, I hope you're prepared to put up with my daughter full time." She said as she ushered Maura over the threshold.

"Of course!" Maura replied. "Why wouldn't I be?" She asked confused.

"Don't worry Princess, Ma's trying to be funny." She yawned sleepily and then hugged her friend. "You ok?"

"Yeah I'm great." Maura replied, returning the hug. "I'm excited!" She grinned into Jane's shoulder and felt the taller girl chuckle.

"I'll bet you're really organised and everything is labelled right?"

"Well it will be so rushed so I ..."

"I'm kidding." Jane whispered and squeezed her a little tighter. They both jumped apart at Mrs Rizzoli clearing her voice.

"Breakfast?" She asked with a smirk.

After breakfast Jane jumped into the shower and then they started hefting boxes into Maura's car. Mrs Rizzoli put some in her car as well and they all drove to the apartment. There was an elevator that took them up to the top floor of the apartments. Maura fumbled with the key her father gave her and pushed open the door. The alarm started to beep and she turned it off before stepping out of the way to allow Jane and Mrs Rizzoli to enter. The living room was comfortable with a large kitchen that was half separated and there was a large patio window directly in front of them leading to a roof garden. To the left (by the kitchen) was a single door and then there was a corridor to the right with three more doors. The door next to the kitchen was a guest room, nicely done with a bed already made. The living room had two nice two seater sofas all focusing on the large TV in the corner and then down the hall were the two larger bedrooms, each with a little ensuite and then a large main bathroom was the first door on the corridor. Each of the two bedrooms were the same. Both had new beds already set up. One of the rooms had a large walk in wardrobe which was instantly given to Maura. They unpacked their boxes steadily over the next few hours stopping for lunch and dinner when Mrs Rizzoli cooked. As she left that evening, she asked for a key for emergencies.

"Sorry Angela but I only have a copy for Jane and I at the moment." She smiled, apologetically.

"Yeah Ma, we'll get you one soon!" Jane said quickly and gently moved her mother towards the door. "Bye Ma!"

"Bye Angela." Maura grinned.

"Bye girls." Mrs Rizzoli just managed to say as the door shut.

"Jane!" Maura scolded but the effect was diminished slightly as she laughed.

"What?" Jane asked innocently. "I thought she'd never leave. Now! Movie night?"

"Yes please." They grabbed some snacks and a VHS before sitting on one of the small two seaters. Jane sat down first and as Maura sat next to her she pulled her friend's legs over her own.

"Press play Princess." She said, resting one hand on her calf and the other reaching over to grab some popcorn. It wasn't long before they were both falling asleep on the sofa. Maura jerked awake a few hours later to find Jane had somehow slid down in her sleep and her hear was resting on her stomach and her left hand was fisting the material of Maura's silk shirt. Maura smiled and ran her hand through Jane's hair.

"Janey." She whispered, trying to wake her gently. As comfortable as she was, she knew Jane wouldn't be when she woke up in the morning, sleeping at that angle. "Janey, wake up sweetie."

Jane groaned and sleepily opened her eyes. "Hey Princess, what time is it?" She asked trying to glimpse her watch in the dark.

"It's after 2am, I think we should go to bed, your neck will be sore tomorrow if you stay in that position."

"Good call." She groaned as she sat up and stretched.


	12. Chapter 12 - Parental Inspection

A.N. I don't normally write about RL events in my author's note but I just wanted to take a few seconds to say how horrified I was on Friday morning to hear about the shooting at the school in Connecticut. My thoughts are with the friends and families of the victims. RIP.

_Be kind to your mother-in-law, but pay for her board at some good hotel. - Josh Billings _

Chapter Twelve - Parental Inspection

The next few weeks, before they started college, passed quickly. They got into a routine with the chores and also with making sure to go to the Rizzoli house every Sunday for dinner. Jane also started working part time with her father as a source of income. A week before classes were due, Professor and Mrs Isles called and said they were coming for dinner. Maura was in full on panic mode as she rushed from room to room. Jane was fairly amused but a little worried and nervous too. She had never met Maura's parents and had only overheard them on one occasion and they hadn't painted themselves in a positive light in Jane's eyes. She had told Maura she would cook dinner and was making a lasanga, only one of the many family recipes she had yet to learn from her mother. As she was preparing the garlic butter for the garlic bread she was also making, she watched Maura cleaning Bass' tank. The little tortoise was happily munching his cut up veg as Maura scrubbed the glass clean.

"I think the tank is clean Princess." Jane called and Maura stopped dead before turning to face Jane.

"You're right," She grinned sheepishly, "I guess I'm just nervous."

"You guess? Maura Isles just guessed?" She gasped dramatically. Maura laughed and carefully put the tank lid back on, making sure the UV light was on at the right setting before taking the cleaning supplies and putting them away.

"That smells fantastic by the way. Will you teach me?" She asked as she walked next to Jane.

"Sure." Jane replied and they spent the next few hours happily cooking. Jane also put together an antipasto selection for starter. An hour before they were due to arrive, Maura and Jane showered and changed. When the doorbell rang, Jane put the garlic bread in the oven as Maura answered the door.

"Hello mother." Maura greeted her with a peck to her cheek. "Hello father." She hugged her father and then shut the door behind them. "Can I get either of you a drink?" She asked. Mrs Isles gave Maura a bottle of wine she was carrying.

"Can you get me a glass of this darling?"

"Would you like the same Daddy?" She asked.

"Yes Maura dear, your mother has excellent taste in wine after all." She smiled softly. Jane was hidden in the kitchen as Maura rounded the corner. Maura grinned at her friend's behaviour. "Are you hiding?" She whispered as she got four wine glasses out of the cabinet.

"No!" Jane hissed. Maura shook her head in amusement as she filled two glasses with wine and the other two with water.

"Come on Janey, can you bring the water and the antipasto in? I've got the wine and the side plates." She said, Jane nodded and before either of them did anything else Maura hugged her friend. "Don't worry," She whispered, "You've got nothing to worry about, you're my best friend and I love you."

"I love you too Princess." Jane grinned. They both walked into the dining room where Professor Isles had sat at the head of the table with Mrs Isles to his left.

"Mother, father, I'd like you to meet my best friend, this is Jane Rizzoli." She smiled at Jane as she handed the wine glasses to her father and set the side plates down. "Jane this is my father, Professor Isles and my mother, Constance Isles."

"I'm very pleased to meet you Jane." Professor Isles smiled warmly as Jane gave Maura the water glasses and she placed the antipasto down in the centre. He then offered Jane his hand and she shook it smiling nervously.

"It's nice to finally meet you both." She said with a glance at Mrs Isles.

"You as well, I know you've been a great friend to Maura."

"It's easy to be a friend to Maura, she's the best." Jane gave Maura a warm smile. Maura sat down on Professor Isles' right hand side and then Jane sat next to her.

"I understand you've done the cooking this evening Jane." Mrs Isles said.

"Yes, my Ma taught me the family recipe for lasanga and I've thrown together some antipasto for starter. I hope that's ok?" She asked nervously, looking to Maura. Maura took Jane's hand discretely under the table and turned to her parents.

"Jane's a wonderful cook. Mrs Rizzoli has been teaching her and she's been teaching me." She said.

"You know Ma would teach us both if you wanted." Jane told her.

"I like learning from you though, you're very patient." Maura grinned. Jane just nodded in agreement. They started discussing the upcoming courses they would both be taking at their respective colleges. Jane excused herself to start serving the lasanga with the salad and garlic bread. Maura excused herself to help.

It was just after desert when Mrs Isles asked what Jane wanted to do.

"After I've finished college I'll be joining the police" Jane told them and Maura smiled proudly.

"Jane wants to be a homicide detective," She explained, "She's very passionate about her career choice."

"That's very dangerous isn't it?" Mrs Isles asked. "Wouldn't you rather marry a nice man and have children?" Mrs Isles asked. Jane's eyebrows jerked up in surprise and she glanced at Maura who answered for Jane.

"Mother, Jane is very independent and wants to have a career of her own."

Mrs Isles looked like she was about to say something else but Professor Isles placed his hand on his wife's.

"That's an admirable career Jane." He smiled. Jane liked Professor Isles. Sure he was a little stuck up but it was nothing too bad and he genuinely seemed to care for Maura. Mrs Isles, on the other hand, was more concerned with her art than her daughter, and what image they had as individuals and a family. After dinner, Jane started cleaning up the kitchen whilst Maura had some alone time with her parents. It didn't take long for her to join Jane in the kitchen to help.

"Mother and father are watching a documentary on TV. Will you join us?" Maura whispered. The Isles were staying in the guest bedroom and were driving back to Hartford in the morning so they had at least an hour to kill before it was a reasonable time to head to bed.

"Sure, just let me finish here." Jane replied, "I'll be right in."

"Thanks." Maura sighed gratefully and leaned against the counter in relief. Jane dropped the kitchen towel she was using to wipe the sides and was at Maura's side in a flash.

"Hey Princess, you ok?" she asked, using her fingers under Maura's chin to raise her friends head to look into her eyes,

"Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled wearily. "It just takes a lot out of me to deal with them sometimes."

Jane wrapped her arms around her and gave her a warm hug. "You're doing great, your dad's really nice and your mother ... well there's always someone in every family, look at Christina!"

Maura laughed quietly into Jane's neck. "I believe you're right." She sighed.

"Hey it's gnocchi night tomorrow, you know Ma will have some of that tea you like to go with it." She gave Maura another squeeze before pulling away slightly but not taking her hands off her shoulders. "You ready to get back in there?"

"Yes." Maura smiled.

"Good, hey you wanna watch this then say it's time for bed but then read some more Jane Austen? I like it when you read out loud."

"Sure, we can start 'Persuasion' if you like?"

Jane smiled and nodded. "After you, Maur."

The next hour passed slowly. Professor Isles was avidly watching the documentary and so was Maura. Maura had sat with her feet in Jane's lap without realising she was doing it until she had done so and Jane had tensed when she saw Mrs Isles' raised eyebrows at the action but had placed her hand on Maura's ankle and asked Professor Isles if he had seen the latest Red Sox game. It turned out he liked baseball himself but never got time to watch the games but they happily discussed the history of the sport and the current rules. Jane was conscious of Mrs Isles watching then both all the way through the evening. She had to remember not to rub Maura's feet as she had been doing recently and stayed as still and looking interested in the documentary as she could. When it had finished, they made their excuses and headed to bed, as did Maura's parents. Jane had just changed into her tank top and shorts when Maura quietly knocked on the door and wandered in wearing her Red Sox jersey with Honorary Rizzoli on the back and her own shorts. She smiled at Jane and held up a copy of Jane Austen's 'Persuasion'. Jane grinned back. They sat side by side with their backs against the headboard and Maura started reading. It wasn't long before they both fell asleep. It was about 2am when Jane woke up. She squinted her eyes when she realised her bedside lamp was still on and smiled to see that she and Maura had gravitated into their usual sleeping position. She grabbed the blankets up around them and turned off the light.

The next morning, Maura woke up and when she realised where she was she smiled to herself. There was something so comforting about being near Jane, especially whilst she slept. She closed her eyes and then snapped then open when she heard her parents raised voices. They were coming from the kitchen. She slid gently from Jane's arms, replacing herself with the pillow she had been resting on, grinning as she saw Jane pull it closer. Then she walked quietly to the door and stepped out just as quietly. She walked to the kitchen and was stood just at the entrance where she saw her mother and father, fully dressed and in the middle of a hushed but heated argument.

"... care what it looks like?" Mrs Isles hissed. "They were touching each other all night!"

"Constance, they're close friends, it's normal but even if there were more to it, what would you have me do?"

"Talk to your daughter, tell her what is expected! She's already talking about becoming some sort of strange person who cuts up dead people for a living."

"Come now, medical examiners are highly respected individuals in the medical community. Would I prefer her to be a practicing Doctor? Of course I would, but she's happy in her choice. She does all she can to please you Constance. Do you think I don't see the hurt that crosses her face when you decide to ignore something academic she does and then she overdoes it with the fashion and clothes for a few days to have something that you both like that you can share." He sounded like he had wanted to say this for some time.

"She's our daughter, she should know what is expected of her and gallivanting around with that working blue collar trash is not it!"

Maura felt the red mist descend and was about to charge into the kitchen when a hand clamped over her mouth and pulled her back down the hallway a little. She didn't panic, she knew it was Jane. She put her hand over Jane's that had wrapped around her waist.

"Don't interrupt them." Jane whispered. They listened to her father's response.

"You've got to stop this bigotry Constance. Do you think our daughter cares about Jane's social class? No. They wrote to each other for years, they know everything about each other and I think they complement each other very well as friends or something more if they were to ever decide to be more than friends and yes before you ask I would support whatever choices she were to make. But Constance, I know you, it's not the fact that your daughter might be attracted to another woman that is bothering you, it's that she might be attracted to someone who is not as well off as we are and how her decision might affect how those awful women you're so fond of might see you. Maura and I both love you but if you don't change this way you have of seeing the world, you might end up losing her."

There was silence from the kitchen and Jane nudged Maura back into her room and shut the door. "Silly Maura, thinking I wouldn't miss you." Jane smiled but her face fell at the look on Maura's face. "Are you ok?" She asked.

"Yeah, I just realised my father knows me better than I thought and my mother doesn't know me at all."

Jane paused trying to decide what she could say to help. Then she realised she just had to do what she would normally do.

"Come on, let's get breakfast, then we can say goodbye to your folks then we'll go to Ma's early and I'll kick your ass at a little b-ball one on one." Jane grinned and Maura laughed.

"Ok, you're on!" They walked back towards the kitchen where her parents were thankfully silent. After a few minutes of stilled conversation, the elder Isles left. Her mother seemed to be deep in thought and hugged Maura tightly before leaving as did her father before he shook Jane's hand.

"Take care of my little girl." He whispered.

Jane nodded seriously. "Yes, Sir." She replied. Maura did not hear the exchange as she was saying goodbye to her mother. As Maura shut the door, she sighed and then turned to smile at Jane.

"So ... Basketball?"


	13. Chapter 13 - Boyfriend, Horror & Leaving

A.N. So I tried the timetable thing and it's not really working as planned so I'll just post as and when lol. Thanks for all your reviews guys they really mean a lot

_The most beautiful people I've known are those who have known trials, have known struggles, have known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. - __Elisabeth Kübler-Ross_

Chapter Thirteen - Boyfriend, Horror and Leaving

Life passed quietly at Jane and Maura's house. Jane started college and started playing hockey for their girls team and started spending some evenings out with her friends. Maura launched into her studies and she would occasionally head out with Jane but no matter how busy they were, Friday night remained movie night and Sunday night was always spent at the Rizzoli's.

It was during the second year of their studies that Maura met Garrett. He was a senior at BCU and she had met him at one of the charity dinners she attended with her parents. Her mother couldn't have been more thrilled that her daughter was dating a Fairfield. For the first few months that they were dating, Jane did not meet him. She saw that he made Maura happy so that was enough for her and she figured that Maura would introduce them in due course, but then she started noticing that Maura was behaving differently than usual.

It was nothing that anyone else would have picked up on but Maura seemed more on edge and she didn't have her usual encyclopaedia mouth tendencies. She knew that these changes were down to Garrett. It was just before Christmas when Maura finally introduced them.

"Janey, is it ok if Garrett comes around for dinner this evening?" She asked. "I'd like for you to meet him." Jane looked up from the book she had been reading as she was laying on the sofa.

"Sure Princess, I'd like to meet him." She smiled and watched as Maura picked her phone up and made the call to Garrett. Later that evening they were both sat in the living room, watching a documentary on a tribe in Africa when there was a knock at the door. Maura jumped up and fussed with her outfit. She had one of her most expensive dresses on and, in Jane's opinion, it seemed like she was trying very hard to impress Garrett.

"Hi Garrett." Maura smiled as she opened the door. She leaned up to kiss him and then he walked inside.

"Well, isn't this ... quaint." Garrett said as he looked around the apartment. Jane's eyebrow raised. Quaint? This apartment was probably bigger and worth more than her parents entire house.

"I like this apartment." Maura frowned.

"It's a lovely little place, Maura Babe." Garrett smiled indulgently.

Jane stood up and walked to meet them. "Hi, I'm Jane." She said and offered Garrett her hand. He hesitated and then briefly shook it.

"Maura's told me all about you Jane, I know you're her friend." Garrett said.

"She's my best friend Garrett, I believe I did mention ..." She trailed off at the look Garrett gave her.

"I wanted to ask you Maura, my family and I are going skiing in the Alps for the Christmas vacation, I would like you to join us." He said, it was more of a fact that she would be going in his eyes rather than the question it should have been.

"I'm sorry Garrett but I'm spending Christmas with the Rizzoli's, I've already told Jane's mother I'll be there."

"It's ok Maur, I'm sure Ma will understand." Jane said.

"No, Jane, I can't let your mother down." She said firmly. "I'm sorry Garrett, how about New Year?" She asked.

"I'll have to let you know our plans." He said, a touch of anger colouring his words. He clearly wasn't used to being told no and Jane didn't like this tone.

"Right." Jane said, faking enthusiasm. "Shall we have our dinner then?"

They ate their dinner, the conversation stilted because every time Jane started to get Maura talking about a subject, Garrett would disagree and then the topic would be over. Jane couldn't stand him by the end of the evening but she didn't want to say anything to Maura so she decided to wait it out. The next few weeks were torture for Jane as she watched as Maura and Garrett grew closer. Maura spent the New Years with him and then Valentine's Day on some romantic trip to Paris. Maura arrived home after a date with Garrett in April in tears.

"Princess, what's wrong?" She asked, hurrying to comfort her friend.

"Garrett doesn't want me to see you anymore. He told me that I had to kick you out or stop seeing him."

Jane's heart went cold. "It's ok Maura, I'll be out of here tomorrow." She smiled sadly and turned to walk towards her bedroom but was stopped by Maura grabbing her wrist.

"Wait ... I don't understand." Maura said, confused. Why would Jane be leaving?

"Well I can't stand in the way of your happiness and I ..." Jane started to explain but was cut off by Maura's retort.

"Jane Rizzoli, you listen to me!" She said angrily. "You're my best friend and as much as I loved Garrett I will not have anyone, my parents, a boyfriend or anyone tell me who I can and cannot be friends with!"

Jane smiled slowly at this. "So ... you said _loved_ ..."

"Yes. I told Garrett the same and quite frankly I should have broken this off months ago when he told me that I shouldn't spout off 'useless facts' at people because it makes them uncomfortable especially, he said, if I wanted to date him."

"He actually said that?" Jane laughed. "But that's one of the most adorable things about you." Maura laughed and Jane wrapped her arms around her friend. "Don't worry Princess I know it hurts now but it'll get better and I'm here to help with iced cream and movies!" She grinned.

The next few months passed quickly. Jane and Maura started their senior year in the September. Maura had once again managed to skip a year and had done a four year degree in three years when she graduated that summer. It was just before Valentine's day and Maura was fast asleep. Jane had gone out with her hockey friends for the 21st birthday of their friend Marie. It was 02:30 when Maura's phone rang. She reached out for it and blearily answered.

"Hello?"

"Maur, thank God, I'm so sorry to wake you but can you come and pick me up? Tay's been attacked and I'm at the hospital." Jane muttered. At the word 'hospital' Maura sat up, suddenly wide awake. She hopped around the room pulling jeans on over her shorts. She was wearing her Red Sox jersey. It wasn't something she normally wore outside but this was an emergency.

"Are you ok?" She asked quickly as she was running around, trying to find her second sneaker to put on.

"Yes I'm fine, a little shook up maybe but Tay's a mess ... Maur just _please_ come and wait with me?" She said and her voice broke.

"I'm on my way, I'll be there in ten minutes, you're at Boston General right?" Maura promised, grabbing her keys and already half way out of the door. When she arrived at the hospital, she ran into the waiting room and saw Jane stood with her arms wrapped around herself. She had blood all over her and looked lost, when she saw Maura she collapsed to her knees and into her arms. She wrapped her arms around Maura's waist as she pressed her face into Maura's stomach and cried. Maura was shocked at first but started gently stroking her friend's hair after she had tried to disentangle Jane's embrace. Her arms were holding her tight and she knew she would not be able to get Jane to sit down on the chair until she was done crying. This was a new feeling for her. She had never had to comfort someone in this way before and she had never seen Jane so upset. The bad feeling in her stomach intensified, but she continued to try and soothe Jane. Several minutes passed with them in this position when a couple ran into the room and saw Jane.

"Jane!" The woman yelled. Jane started and let go of Maura, quickly wiping her eyes and trying to get up, Maura reached out and helped her to her feet as she saw she was unsteady. "What happened?"

"We were at a party and Tay and Marie were dancing, these guys didn't like it and when we were leaving they followed us but I didn't know and I had to run in for my jacket, when I came back out, it had only been a few minutes I swear! And they had cornered them and were calling them horrible names and were hitting them, I saw Tay try and keep Marie behind her as much as she could and then one of them hit her with ... something, I couldn't see what, and she was on the floor and they were kicking her and I ran to where ... I tried to get there ... I should have been faster." Jane voice broke again. Maura wrapped her arms around Jane's waist and felt Jane lean against her. "They won't tell me anything because I'm not family." Taylor's parents rushed to the desk without another word. Maura led Jane to a chair and they sat down. Jane rested her head against Maura's shoulder. "I tried to help her Maur, I really did." She whispered.

"I know and what happened isn't your fault Janey." She whispered back.

"So why do I feel like it is?" She asked softly.

"Because you're a good person and you're a protector. Of course you feel responsible but hear this Janey, it is _not_ your fault!" They didn't say anything else for close to two hours. Finally Taylor's father appeared looking grim and had fresh tear marks.

"She's going to be ok Jane, she's in a medically induced coma at the minute but the doctors are optimistic." He told them.

Jane's head dropped into her hands in relief. "Thank you." Maura smiled gently, he nodded and disappeared again. "Come on Janey, let's get you home." When they walked into the apartment, Maura told Jane to go and shower. She made them each a cup of tea and took them into Jane's room. Jane was sat on her bed in her pyjamas with damp hair, looking a little lost again. Maura sat beside her and they drank their tea. By this time it was almost six in the morning. After a sideways glance at Jane, Maura spoke. "Do you want me to stay with you?" She asked. Jane nodded. They didn't tend to stay in each other's rooms anymore but she knew that Jane wouldn't want to be alone tonight. She took their cups to the kitchen and when she got back to Jane's room, she had got into bed and was watching the door. Maura closed the door behind her, shed her jeans, sneakers and socks and slid into bed beside Jane and turned off the bedside light. Jane wrapped her arms around Maura and she rested her head on Jane's shoulder as their legs intertwined. Jane's arms wrapped around her shoulder as Maura's wrapped around her waist.

"I just don't understand why people are so cruel." Jane whispered and started crying again. Maura didn't reply, she just held Jane tightly as her sobs wracked her body.

Taylor recovered from her injuries but she moved away from Boston after graduation to head to New York with her boyfriend. She had told Jane that the city had changed for her now and she didn't feel safe there. Jane and Maura both graduated, both with first class degrees, Maura's with honours and a distinction. She also had an offer to study at Harvard medical which she had wanted and meant she wouldn't have to leave Boston. Jane was temporarily moving out whilst she went to the Police Academy and on the first night she was away, Maura felt a little alone but she soon adjusted and when Jane had her first weekend at home since she started the academy, they spent the weekend lazing around the apartment and then went to the Rizzoli's gnocchi night on the Sunday night. Maura had been going by herself at Mrs Rizzoli's insistence whilst Jane was away. Maura then said goodbye to Jane and watched her drive away in the beat up car she had bought herself the year before. Each weekend Jane had off went in a similar way.

When Jane graduated, Mr and Mrs Rizzoli were given three of Jane's four tickets. They took Frankie Jr as Tommy refused to go anyway and Maura met them there. Maura cried with Mrs Rizzoli as Jane graduated. Of course Maura's tears were pure pride and happiness whereas Mrs Rizzoli's were part fear. Jane's first four years on the force were spent helping Maura relax whilst she tried to pass medical school as she also tried to make a name for herself as a police officer. When Maura graduated med school was the same year she was promoted to detective with narcotics. So when Maura was once again graduating with honours, it was Detective Jane Rizzoli who was cheering and clapping with Mrs Rizzoli whilst her parents applauded politely. That night, Jane and Maura were having a movie night after the celebration dinner they had enjoyed with the Rizzoli clan, when Maura broached a topic with Jane.

"Janey, I've been thinking what to do now and I think I want to join Doctors Without Borders for a while. They're crying out for medical examiner help and it would be fantastic experience."

Jane hesitated. She honestly didn't want her friend to go. How could she protect her if she wasn't even in the country? She'd already let that smarmy Garrett Fairfield break her heart, but she knew Maura, she knew once she had decided something then that was it.

"At least we have email this time." She smiled. "Whatever you want you know I'll be there to help but Maur, I'll have to get my own place if you're moving, living with you here is one thing but with you out of the country ... well I can't take advantage of your parents like that."

They discussed this for a long time and Jane finally won the discussion and started apartment hunting. She moved into her new place a few days after Maura had left, they had agreed she could at least look to find the right place before she moved. She felt sad saying goodbye to this place. She had a lot of good times living there with Maura. She also wasn't sure if she would ever see her again. She sighed as she picked up the last box and left.


	14. Chapter 14 - When The Worst Happens

A.N. I was a little surprised at the vehemence of some of the reactions to the last chapter so I'll just make something clear, this is a rizzles story 100% but they go through a lot to get to the point where they will be together (including some of the relationships mentioned on the show) and I'm now heading into the area of the start of the show so please bear with me guys. I'd also like to apologise to the readers who feel this story is no longer any good and are no longer enjoying it, all I can say is I had a blast writing it

For everyone who is still enjoying it please read on!

_When it hurts to look back, and you're afraid to look ahead, you can look beside you and your best friend will be there. - Unknown_

Chapter Fourteen - When The Worst Thing Happens

Two years of emailing, texts and occasional calls passed and Maura was finally back in the states and was applying for as many ME jobs that she could. She finally landed an ME job in Hartford, which was the closest she could get to Boston. It didn't take longer than ten months until the chief ME in Hartford was retiring and because of Maura's impeccable record and experience, she was recommended for the job. Two months after this, Jane joined the homicide unit of the BPD. Jane's emails excitedly told her of her new partner, Korsak and that her first case was so tiring.

_Princess,_

_ I can't believe I'm finally working homicide. My partner is great at his job, he really knows his stuff. His name is Korsak and he's been a detective with homicide for a long time. He's a great guy but he's always rescuing all these animals whether he's on the clock or not. I call him Detective Dolittle. He knows I'm just kidding though. I wish all the other detective's were as great as he is. There's this one guy called Crowe who seems to live to make my life miserable. He constantly makes remarks about me being female and therefore weaker than he is and I know it was him who put the tampon in the bottle of water on desk the other day._

_I can't tell you much about my first homicide case, I'm not supposed to tell anyone outside of the department anything but hey you're an ME so you're part of law enforcement ;)_

_So far the guy we're after has killed two couples, he rapes the women and makes the husbands watch. He's been called the Surgeon by the press because after he's ... done he then slices the throat with scalpels. He tortures them with scalpels too. He kidnaps the women and they turn up a few days later ... I know they'd have wished to have been killed straight away._

_I don't know what to do, I know I'm missing something, there has to be a way that he picks his victims and if I could just figure out how he decided to use scalpels ..._

_Anyway I have to go, Korsak as much as I know he wants me to succeed as a detective I think he's testing me at the moment. Every comment or suggestion I make, he makes me explain it and the number of doors he's made me break down recently because I'm 'the new guy' is ridiculous. I swear I'm gonna dislocate my shoulder if I have to break down another (I'm not being being serious about that Maur, just a little sarcastic exaggeration ;))_

_I hope you can make it for Christmas this year, Ma was already asking about it the other day ... I did try to tell her there was months before Christmas but you know Ma._

_Speak to you later!_

_Love Janey_

On the day everything changed, Maura had just completed her first autopsy of the day when her mobile rang. She checked the caller ID and saw it was Angela's cell.

"Hello Angela." She smiled. "Calling to ask if I know what you should buy Jane for her birthday?" She joked.

"Maura dear, are you sat down?" She asked.

Maura's smile froze. "What happened? Is she ok?" Maura asked quickly. "Angela please tell me she's ok."

"She's been hurt but she's ok ... well she's alive." Angela sighed. "I'm sorry to ask this honey but she won't talk to us and we thought she might ..."

"I'll be there as fast as I can." Maura interrupted and quickly took down the details. She left her voice notes to be typed up and called her boss to request emergency leave, citing a family emergency and drove straight to Boston. She had her purse, phone and laptop. She didn't worry about Bass, she could call his carer when she got to Boston. She raced into Boston General, getting eerie flashbacks to when she had run into here when Taylor was hurt. She raced up to the desk. "I need to see Detective Jane Rizzoli now!" She snapped at the completely unperturbed nurse.

"Are you family Miss ..." She asked.

"_Doctor_ Maura Isles, chief medical examiner for the Greater Hartford area and I'm her best friend, I practically am family, please I have to see her."

"I'm sorry Doctor but only family allowed." The nurse said firmly. Maura narrowed her eyes and pulled out her cell. She stared straight at the nurse whilst it rang on loudspeaker.

"Hello?" Angela answered.

"Angela I'm at the front desk but Nurse ..." She paused to glance at the name tag, "Rose Clyde, will not tell me where she is, she says I'm not family."

"Not family? Yes you are, we're on the fifth floor, room 113, Jane's in a bad way, she needs you more than me or her father."

"I'll be right there." And with that she closed the phone with a snap. "Thank you so much for your assistance Rose, you've been a _wonderful_ help." And she left the woman gaping as she stood pressing the elevator button over and over until the carriage arrived. She ran inside and pressed the fifth button, anxiously spinning the ring on her right hand. When the doors opened, she almost ran into Angela who had clearly come to wait for her by the elevators.

"Maura!" She exclaimed and pulled her into a tight hug. "Thanks for coming so fast dear!"

"Where is she?" Maura asked looking up and down the corridor, as if expecting to see her friend stood there.

"I'll take you to her in a second but Maura honey, listen to me, I have to tell you what happened first."

Maura's gaze snapped back to Mrs Rizzoli. She hadn't made it back to Boston since she left for Doctors Without Borders and she knew she needed to calm down.

"Ok I'm sorry." She said. "Please tell me."

"She got a tip about that monster and followed it without backup because Korsak wasn't there. He surprised her and ... oh God ... he pinned her hands to the floor with scalpels Maura." Angela sobbed.

Maura's mind raced. She could have serious damage to her ... no! She wouldn't think about that now. "He didn't ... he, well ... did he?" Maura whispered. She knew he was a rapist as well.

"We don't think so but she won't talk to any of us, she won't even let Korsak into the room and he saved her, he shot him when he realised that Jane had run off alone and she won't see him." Angela choked back another sob.

"Can I see her now?" Maura asked, Angela nodded and led her down the corridor to room 113. Maura saw Frank, Frankie and an unfamiliar man sat on chairs outside the door. Frank and Frankie both stood and hugged her, whispering their hellos. The other man got heavily to his feet.

"Maura this is Vince Korsak, Jane's partner." Angela said. "Vince this is Dr Maura Isles, Jane's best friend." They shook each other's hand.

"It's nice to meet you Doc." Korsak attempted to smile. "She talks about you all the time."

"Nice to meet you detective." Maura nodded. "Angela, I'm going to go in alone, is that ok?" Maura asked. Angela just nodded and took the fourth seat next to Frank. Maura opened the door without knocking and stepped inside closing the door. She turned around to see Jane lay down on her side, facing away from the door.

"I said get out Ma!" Jane yelled. "I don't want to talk about it or hear you yell about how stupid I was! Get out!"

Maura's heart ached for her and she took a tentative step forward. "Oh Janey." She sighed and saw Jane turn onto her back and stare at her.

"Maura?" She whispered and then she was crying and reaching for her best friend with hands that were heavily bandaged. Maura rushed to her and climbed onto the narrow bed beside her. Jane clung to her waist, resting her head on Maura's shoulder as Maura rested against the headboard. The moment Maura had hold of Jane, the detective burst into silent tears. They lay that way for a few hours until Jane cried herself to sleep with Maura gently stroking her hair. Not long after Jane fell asleep, Angela knocked quietly on the door before entering cautiously. She smiled sadly at the sight of Jane's tear stained face and look up at Maura.

"Would you like a coffee dear?" She asked quietly.

"Yes please." Maura answered. "And do you think that Frankie would run to my car and get my grab bag from the boot?"

"You have a grab bag?" Angela asked, a little amused.

"Jane told me it would be a good idea, she seemed to think I'd get upset if I got my clothes dirty at a crime scene." Maura smiled down at Jane as she grumbled in her sleep and snuggled closer. Angela smiled and turned to leave, closing the door behind her. Maura rested her chin on Jane's head and allowed herself to relax for the first time that day.

The next thing she knew, she was being shaken awake by an angry nurse. "I'm sorry but you cannot sleep in the bed with the patients, especially not if you get up to any _funny business_." Maura looked confused but then realised her and Jane's legs were entwined and Jane's hand had found its way under her top and was resting on her stomach. She blushed and then laughed quietly.

"No we're just friends, I can't leave her."

"You'll do what I ..." The nurse started.

"Please." Maura begged.

"No! Out of that bed now!"

With difficulty, Maura extracted herself from Jane and allowed herself to be chivvied to the door. They had barely taken three steps when Jane yelled causing both the nurse and Maura to jump.

"No! No! ... You can't it hurts! Please don't! Leave her out of it you bastard! NO!" She yelled. Angela was suddenly in the room too as they watched Jane thrash in her sleep. Maura was trying to get to Jane but the nurse still had an iron grip around her wrist, and she was stood in shock. Angela ran to Jane and tried to soothe her but her cries got worse and she hit out almost smacking Angela in the face. She stepped back in shock.

"Jane, no!" Maura cried, wrenching her arm free and reaching Jane's side, running her hands through her hair, whispering soothing words to her. Jane stopped thrashing and reached a hand to Maura, still in her sleep.

"Maura ..." She murmured.

"It's ok Jane, I'm here, he won't hurt you, it's ok." She kept murmuring. When Jane settled down completely and stopped talking, Maura turned her angry eyes to the nurse. "What is it with the nurses in this hospital? I normally have the utmost respect for nurses. They do a very hard job, very well but the two nurses I've spoken to in this hospital have been lazy, arrogant and quite frankly, in your case, homophobic! Whether Jane and I were in a relationship should have no bearing on your standard of care. Now I want you to get the director in charge of nursing in this hospital here promptly and tell them _Doctor _Maura Isles wants to discuss her friends care!" She stated heatedly. When the nurse just looked horrified Maura yelled. "Now!" Causing the nurse to scamper and Jane to wake up with a jump.

"Oh Janey I'm sorry, please try and go back to sleep." Jane took a quick look at the fact that Maura was no longer lay next to her but awkwardly stood half holding her.

"You were leaving ..." Jane said dejectedly.

"No sweetie, the nurse was trying to make me but you stopped her." She smiled.

"How? I was asleep ... wasn't I?" Jane asked confused.

"You hit out at your mother." Angela grinned. "I'll leave you two alone, I left your coffee on that table and your bag is there as well ... you might want to change honey." She grinned and left. Maura looked at her silk shirt and realised it was tearstained so she laughed. Jane, on the other hand, began to apologise.

"It's ok Jane, it's just a shirt." She smiled and pulled out her worn Red Sox jersey, turned her back to Jane and unbuttoned the silk shirt, took it off and replaced it with the Red Sox jersey, then she pulled out a pair of jogging bottoms and pulled them up under her skirt then undid her skirt and pulled that down. She then folded the shirt and the skirt and placed them in her bag before turning around to look at Jane who was smirking. "What?" She asked.

"You still have that jersey." She smiled.

"I like it." She blushed. "And being an honorary Rizzoli."

"Always." Jane said seriously. Maura was just about to reply when there was a knock at the door and a man about twenty years older than them walked in.

"I'm sorry to ... Maura?" He asked.

"Dr Murray." She smiled. "How are you?"

"I'm well, thank you. Yourself?"

"I'm working for the M.E's office in Hartford at the moment."

"I thought you wanted to work here in Boston?" He frowned.

"That's the end plan yes, but the Chief here is refusing to retire and I'm sure they've got people with more vast experiences than my own."

"Not possible, you were my brightest student." Maura blushed. "So I hear my nurses have been ... unprofessional." He stated. Maura told him the whole story and he nodded seriously. "Yes, I understand, I will speak to the nurses and assign my best nurse to look after Detective Rizzoli here. And Maura, I do frown upon people sharing beds with patients as well, however, she'll be out of here tomorrow." Maura blushed again.

"Thank you, Dr Murray." She said.

"Wait, I have to stay overnight?" Jane asked, speaking for the first time.

"Yes Detective Rizzoli, normally I'd recommend a much longer stay but since I know you'll be getting excellent care at home since you'll be in such good hands." Here he smiled at Maura. "I'll release you tomorrow, assuming there are no signs of infection then." Jane sighed but nodded her ok. "You'll also have to come back for physical therapy sessions to improve the muscle strength in your hands once they have started to heal."

"Ok Doc." Jane said grumpily. After a few more instructions Dr Murray left. "Can we go back to sleep now Maur?" Jane yawned.

"You can but I'll be sleeping right here." Maura said as she sat down next to Jane on the chair. Jane frowned.

"That doesn't look comfortable."

"It isn't." Maura grinned and she took Jane's hands gently in her own. "I'm not going anywhere." She insisted. Jane didn't fight the pull of her medication anymore and soon enough she was fast asleep. The next day, true to his word, Dr Murray let Jane leave. She got into Maura's car and gave her directions to her apartment. Maura had never been there as she had left for Doctors Without Borders just before Jane had found the apartment. It was just so Jane. In one corner of the living room was her piano and there was baseball memorabilia everywhere not to mention pictures of Jane, Maura and the Rizzoli's.

"I like your apartment Jane." Maura said as she set down the bags she had been carrying and shut the door. She glanced at her watch. "Time for your meds Janey."

"But they make me sleepy." Jane whined.

Maura just laughed. "Well I have to make you something to eat to go with them anyway so how about we eat, you have your meds and then we both get some rest. You were right about that chair." She said. Jane didn't answer but sat heavily on the sofa. Maura took this to mean she agreed and checked Jane's fridge. It was practically empty but there were some eggs, some milk, beer and a few bell peppers. A bell pepper omelette would be nice. Jane wouldn't be having any beer for a while anyway. She quickly made two omelettes and sat with Jane whilst they ate in silence. Maura took their plates to the kitchen and set them in the sink to wash later and filled two glasses with water and handed them to Jane. After Jane had taken them Jane finally spoke.

"Is it ok with you if I sleep by myself ... You can have the bed later but I ... I ... just wanna be by myself." Jane said, not meeting Maura's eyes. Maura didn't let her hurt show, she smiled and sent Jane on her way whilst she set about cleaning the kitchen. About ten minutes later there as a soft knock at the door. Maura opened it to see Mrs Rizzoli stood there with several bags.

"Angela." Maura smiled as she relieved her of some of the bags and they set them on the counter top.

"I brought you girls some food since I know Janey's fridge will be empty." She said. Maura thanked her and they started unpacking bags as Mrs Rizzoli interrogated Maura about her experiences in Doctors Without Borders, her job in Hartford and if she had any potential boyfriends. Maura calmly told her everything she wanted to know and then the conversation turned serious as Angela asked how Jane was doing. Maura sighed.

"I think she's starting to feel the trauma more. I let her go rest alone before, I'm just hoping being alone helps. I think she needs to talk to someone but I will not force her to do anything."

"She'll talk to you before she talks to anyone else." Angela said, patting Maura's hand as it rested on the countertop. "Well I'm going to go now. Tell Jane I dropped by and you know where I am if you need me." She reached the door and opened it before she turned back and smiled at Maura. "It's really good to see you again dear, we've all missed you." She smiled and left. Maura opened Jane's now full fridge and tried to decide what she was going to make her stubborn best friend for dinner when a scream tore through the apartment. Maura hurried to the bedroom to see Jane thrashing in bed again, this time she looked like she was trying to tear at her bandages on her hands.

"No Janey!" Maura exclaimed and climbed on the bed next to her, running her hands through Jane's hair again, trying to soothe her. She stopped thrashing but continued whimpering and mumbling in her sleep. After a few minutes, she calmed down so Maura stood and tried to leave but Jane shot up looking wildly around. Maura hesitated and took a small step back towards the bed. "Janey?" She asked. Jane's eyes locked with hers instantly. "I'm sorry, you were having ... in distress." She said, not wanting to say the word nightmare and have her friend any more upset.

"I ... I ..." Jane stuttered.

"I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone." Maura said, suddenly realising that Jane was always a tough person and never liked to show when she was upset. She still didn't like to discuss how she reacted to Taylor's attack. She called herself weak when Maura had asked her about it. Maura had turned back towards the door when Jane spoke out.

"No! Please ... stay." She begged. Maura looked at her for a few beats but then let Jane wrap her arms around her as she lay next to her. Jane pulled Maura's back tight against her chest and sighed as they let their legs tangle and pulled the covers up over them. Maura relaxed and felt the tension rush out of Jane too. She let the silence draw out and finally said.

"I miss you, Janey."

"I miss you too, Princess." There was another pause until Jane spoke again. "When are you coming home?"

Maura heard the vulnerability in Jane's voice and put her hands over Jane's bandages ones as they rested on her stomach. "I'll do everything I can Janey. And I'm not going back to Hartford until you're ok ... I may even stay until your birthday." It was the beginning of August now. Maura knew she had lots of vacation days left plus she was the Chief Medical Examiner. She could do most of her administrative stuff from her laptop at Jane's, the rest she could delegate.

"You don't have ..." Jane started.

"Yes I do." Maura said. "I should have come back at Christmas but I agreed to work so I had an excuse for my parents. I should have just come here instead." She rubbed Jane's forearm. "I really missed you."

"Sshh ... sleep now." Jane whispered into her hair and they both fell asleep pretty quickly. When Maura woke up a few hours later she realised it was because Jane was moving slightly behind her.

"Stop moving." Maura groaned. "I'm sleeping." She smiled as she heard Jane laugh quietly.

"Sorry Princess but nature calls." She stood as Maura sat up and realised it was six o'clock.

"Ok, I'll start making dinner, any preference?" She asked.

"Well as far as I can remember all I have is beer." Jane grinned.

"No beer Jane, not with your meds." She smirked as Jane groaned. "And your mother stopped by earlier with some groceries."

"Ah right." Jane sighed. "You do know she'll probably turn up at some point this evening too?" Maura nodded. "Maybe I should change the locks." Jane mused as she headed for the bathroom. Maura headed to the kitchen and pulled out some chicken, baby corn, mushrooms and noodles to make a stir fry. She chopped up the ingredients and started cooking as Jane wandered in and sat at the breakfast bar, watching her. The silence lasted until Maura had plated up their food. That morning Maura had chopped the omelette into bite sized pieces so all Jane had to do was stab them with her fork, this she knew, would be more difficult. They started eating, Maura watching Jane struggle with difficulty but she had to let Jane ask her for help, it was the easiest way to have Jane open up.

"Ok I give, can you help me please Maur?" Jane sighed. Maura put down her own fork and reached for Jane's, filled it and placed it to Jane's lips. Jane chewed the mouthful slowly and Maura refilled her fork. She took a deep breath before she said what she needed to say.

"Janey, you can talk to me about anything, anytime, I'm _always_ here for you remember but I will not keep asking you to talk to me, just ... I'm here ok?"

Jane nodded and Maura continued to feed Jane in comfortable silence. "He didn't ... get that far with me." Jane blurted and Maura snapped her eyes to Jane's, staying still as she watched her friend play with the bandages. "I know Ma was worried but he didn't ... it just hurt so much to be pinned there Maura. He said I made it easy, that I was weak and that he had wanted me to find him, that I was his." She choked on the last word.

"You are not his!" Maura said vehemently. "And you are most definitely not weak! You're the strongest person I know and if you're anyone's, you're mine because you're _my_ best friend."

Jane smiled crookedly at Maura. "Yours eh?"

"Yes and ... oh Jane you know what I mean." Maura blushed and suddenly they were both laughing. The rest of the night passed without incident. Despite Jane's suspicions, Angela did not arrive to make sure everything was ok. She did text Maura to make sure they didn't need anything but she simply didn't mention that to Jane.


	15. Chapter 15 - A Little Truth

A.N. I hope everyone had a good Christmas and didn't drink too much! (if you're legal that is lol ;)) I hope you'll enjoy this too Happy Christmas everyone! (or at least happy day off work ;))

Chapter Fifteen - A Little Truth

The next few weeks were spent with Maura spending her time with Jane and helping her with PT and general daily routines. The thing that tested their friendship most were the daily showers. Jane only allowed it once Maura told her she would call her mother. Grumbling about blackmail, Jane complied and about two weeks later, when Dr Murray agreed the bandages could come off and stay off she celebrated with her first solo shower, singing a ridiculous made up song about being able to do so at the top of her voice that had Maura rolling her eyes as she listened to the loud singing with a small smile. Jane had not wanted to see anyone the first week and Maura had Dr Murray come to Jane's apartment for the first two appointments but not long after this she finally started seeing people and letting Maura take her to the hospital for PT. She had yet to see Korsak though. It was almost the end of August and Jane and Maura were having another movie night (Maura had purchased more DVD's as they had grown bored of Jane's limited collection). Maura was gently massaging Jane's hand, trying to keep them pain free when Jane finally discussed her partner.

"I can't let Korsak be my partner anymore." She admitted.

"Why not Jane? He really seems to care." Korsak had tried to speak to Jane a few times and had come to her apartment. On each occasion she had locked herself in the bathroom and refused to leave the room until Korsak had left. She had known it was immature though and hated herself for it.

"He saw me pinned there Maura, he saw me crying and broken, how can he think I'll have his back after that? She fidgeted in her seat, knowing that Maura would not like what she said but once again her best friend surprised her.

"I understand how you think that people could perceive you differently but Jane, is requesting a new partner really the way to go?"

"Yes, I'll still work with Korsak but he doesn't have to worry about me then." She sighed. "He'll be able to do his job."

Maura stayed silent on this, Jane's mind was set. The first time Jane spoke to Korsak was the next day. Maura left them alone under the pretence of needing to go shopping and when she returned Korsak had gone and Jane was sat at her piano, looking at the keys but not touching them.

"I'm not sure I can play anymore." She whispered as Maura sat next to her.

"You will one day, it doesn't have to be today Jane." Jane nodded and they both stood up and went about the rest of their day. Maura was true to her word and stayed with Jane until her birthday. They all celebrated at the Rizzoli's house and Angela cooked gnocchi at Jane's request. Jane ate far too much and Maura allowed her one beer for the special occasion, Jane had rolled her eyes at this but gratefully accepted the beer anyway.

It was very reluctantly that Maura had left for Hartford, she knew now that she had really felt empty without seeing Jane and had a renewed interest in taking over the Chief ME job at Boston as soon as she could.

Maura made it back to Boston for Christmas. This year Tommy and Aunt Julia's kids were not going to be there but Nonna was. Jane had told Maura she was staying with her as Mrs Rizzoli had been trying to say she should stay in Jane's old room. Christmas morning found Jane and Maura fast asleep, Jane's arms once again wrapped around Maura. Jane woke up first and smiled at the sight of a still sleeping Maura. Jane would never tell her but she thought that Maura looked more like the girl she had first met all those years ago when she was asleep and perfectly relaxed. She slowly slid from the bed and went to the bathroom, going through her morning routine.

Maura woke to an empty bed and the sound of running water. Smiling to herself, she stood and stretched as she went to the kitchen to make them breakfast and coffee. She pulled a file out of her bag that had a bow on stuck on it. She set it down on the side and filled up two cups of coffee and slid the pancakes on a plate just as Jane came in, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, towel drying her hair as she walked.

"Coffee!" She grinned. "Thanks Princess and Merry Christmas!" She sipped from the cup she was given and noticed the file on the side. "Hey Maur, what's that?" She asked, pointing at it.

"Open it." Maura smiled. Jane looked curiously at her friend but opened the file one handed and shuffled through the papers inside. There was a pause.

"... Ok Princess, it's still early and I think this is saying that you're moving back to Boston, but you're gonna have to spell it out for me."

Maura smiled widely. "The Chief ME is retiring in March and they approached me to take the job. Apparently Dr Murray has many friends on the board. He suggested me and they were impressed with my experience so you've got the confirmation letter on my new job and the deeds for my new house there, I'll be moving back in February so ..." Maura's ramble was cut off as Jane wrapped her arms around Maura's waist and lifted her up and spun her around. Maura yelped in surprise and wrapped her arms back around Jane to hand on.

"This is the best Christmas present ever, I get my best friend back for good." She grinned as she dropped Maura gracefully back to her feet and scanned the pages. "I can't believe you got a house and everything and never said a word." She smirked. "I thought you couldn't lie."

"I can't." Maura defended. "I got my estate agent to buy the house for me and besides withholding information is different."

They both laughed and Jane raced to her hall cupboard and pulled out a wrapped gift. Inside, after Maura had eagerly torn the paper off, was a blown up picture of the park where they had met with the big Oak tree they had sat under day after day in the centre. The picture was taken early in the morning, judging from the light, and there were no people milling around. Maura gazed at the picture.

"I know you loved that tree so I went out there in the fall just after you'd gone back to Hartford and took the picture. I borrowed Frankie's ridiculously expensive camera to get a decent shot and ... well, yeah. Do you like it?" Jane asked, a little nervous.

"Oh Janey, it's perfect." She smiled. "This can be hung in my new living room. I went to see the place on my way here and there's this perfect spot." She gently put the picture down and hugged Jane. "I love it." She whispered and then pulled away and ran back to her bag. "But I also got you this!" She exclaimed and pulled out a smaller wrapped box.

Jane frowned. "That news was enough Maur."

Maura rolled her eyes. "While that is very nice to hear, that was just the bonus." She smiled. Jane opened the box and grinned. It was a small celtic style band. "This ring symbolises friendship." Maura smiled. "You don't have to wear it but I tried to chose one that was a little more ... you."

"So not girly then." Jane grinned and slid the ring onto the third finger on her right hand. It fit perfectly and she spun it experimentally around her finger. "Thanks Princess." She told Maura. "Ok, let's eat, then you can grab a shower before we head to Ma's."

They quickly got ready and before they knew it they were walking into the kitchen at Angela's.

"Merry Christmas everyone!" Jane called as she strode in with Maura beside her. She kissed the three women stood there on the cheek. Angel, Nonna and Aunt Julia all smiled and returned the greeting. Then Maura greeted everyone, she had just finished pleasantries with Aunt Julia when an impatient Jane interrupted. "Princess come on, tell them! You know I can't keep a secret ... well one I want to share anyways." She said as she twirled the new ring on her finger. Angela gasped in happiness but Julia nudged her quickly.

"Well I've got the Chief Medical Examiner's position with Boston PD. I'm moving back in February. I'll also be working at the same precinct as Jane."

Angela looked briefly disappointed but quickly congratulated Maura and started asking questions. Jane looked slightly confused at her mother's actions but sat down next to Nonna as Maura was bombarded with questions about where she was going to live. She twirled her ring again and caught her Nonna's amused look as she glanced at said ring.

"What?" Jane asked, a little defensively.

Nonna leaned forward and whispered to her granddaughter. "I believe your mother was disappointed you weren't announcing your engagement to Maura, my little whirlwind." Nonna smiled as Jane's jaw dropped. "Oh come now, you must know we've been wondering for years about you two. You're so close, much closer than usual best friends. I just hope I'm around when you finally come to your senses." Nonna leaned back, clearly enjoying the effect her statement had on her granddaughter and then weighing in her opinion on where Maura was set to move to in Boston.

Jane's mind was reeling. Did she feel _that_ way for Maura? She looked up at her friend and watched her interact with her family. Even when she didn't have Maura there physically, she was the first one she thought of to call or write to when something happened in her life, good or bad. It had always been that way since they had first met and she had never thought twice about it.

Maura looked across at Jane and their eyes met. She smiled the slow, warm smile that Jane had only ever seen directed at her before she turned back to Mrs Rizzoli. Jane's breath caught in her throat as the truth hit her straight in the face.

She was in love with her best friend.

It all came rushing to her, all the feelings she had ignored, without realising it, as she had started high school and met Maura again. It wasn't any other girl, or boy for that matter, that had ever made her feel this way. It was always Maura.

"I'm gonna get the gifts from the car." Jane blurted and stood up suddenly and was almost out of the door when she felt Maura's hand wrap around hers. The tension she had felt a few moments ago drained from her and she recognised somewhere in the back of her mind that Maura had been the one who could always do that, could always calm her down. When she had first come to Boston and Jennifer on her hockey team had made the mistake of insulting Maura, it had been Maura's touch that had calmed her down and then the same with her cousin and when Hoyt happened. She really didn't know how long it may have taken her to recover if she had not had Maura.

"Are you ok? You look a little flushed." Maura asked, concerned as she let her fingers intertwine with Jane's.

"I'm just feeling a little warm." She smiled crookedly. "Figured I'd get the bags and cool off a bit."

Maura looked at her, her head leaning to one side before smiling gently. "Ok, see you in a few minutes."

When she let go of Maura's hand, she quickly walked to the car, cursing herself for falling for her best friend. The short walk to her car and back helped settle her shock over her realisation (forced or not) and also helped her realise that although everything had changed, everything was still the same. Maura was still her best friend. As she wandered back into the kitchen she saw that Maura had donned an apron over her designer dress and was helping Mrs Rizzoli make dinner.

"Jeez it's snowing hard out there now!" She stuttered through chattering teeth, trying to warm her arms up with her hands.

"Jane! Did you go out without your coat?" Maura asked.

"Well it was only to the car and back." Jane defended feebly but Maura had already reached her and her own hands took over for Jane's, rubbing her arms, trying to generate some heat.

"You're freezing, sit down and I'll get you some hot coffee." She said, leading Jane to sit next to her Nonna again.

"Put a good dose of brandy in there too _cuero vero_, looks like she could use it." Nonna said. Maura nodded and once Maura had walked away to do this, she winked at Jane who blushed again and frowned at her Nonna. Maura had turned around in time to see Nonna's smirk and Jane's frown but ignored it.

The rest of the Christmas vacation passed normally. Jane continued to ignore her recently discovered feelings and Maura didn't notice any other out of character moments so when they said goodbye in the New Year it was with their usual affection.


	16. Chapter 16 - Look Who's Back

A.N. Hope you guys enjoy this, I will try to update tomorrow as well Happy New Year everyone!

_When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle __- Edmund Burke_

Chapter Sixteen - Look Who's Back

When Maura was back in Hartford she immediately started packing her belongings. A week later she got a date as to when she would officially start her new job. She sat at her laptop to send Jane an email.

_Janey,_

_ I have a move date now, I've already got the movers booked. I was wondering if you would like to help me clean the place on the first day. I was intending on hiring a professional cleaner but you insisted it was a waste of money when I suggested it and you'd be angry so are you free to help? I haven't been able to contact mother and father yet. They still don't know I'm moving. I believe they are still in Russia. I may be busy over the next few weeks to make sure the Hartford ME office is all clear, but I'll make sure to be available for our Friday night chats. _

_How is Frost doing? Is he still vomiting at crime scenes? I think it's wonderful of you to help him. Is Korsak still upset with you?_

_Miss you._

_Maura_

Jane was at work when she received the email and she grinned as she started typing a reply.

_Princess,_

_ Of course I'll help, I'll even let you stay with me after we've cleaned so you don't breathe in the cleaning fumes! You know Ma will want to help the minute I tell her and she'll have some weird cleaning solutions where the smell lingers for hours. You forgot to actually _tell_ me what date you'll be moving though, let me know and I'll book the time off work._

_Korsak is still upset with me. I reckon he will be even more upset with me if he knew the real reason I requested a new partner. He still believes that it's because of allergies. Frost is trying really hard, I think it's just sheer stubbornness that's keeping him from requesting a transfer back to robbery and that's something you know I can relate to ;) He's a great Detective, he just needs to conquer this. How did they take you resigning? We didn't talk about that ..._

_Anyways I gotta go, body just dropped._

_Miss you too._

_Janey_

The morning of the move, Maura's movers headed out first and she dropped her old house keys at the estate agents before starting the drive to Boston. She was really excited about her new job and house, not to mention spending time with Jane. When she arrived at her new house, she saw the most welcome sight. Jane was stood leaning against her car with a cup of coffee in her hand. Jane smiled widely as Maura stepped out of her car and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Hey Princess, I've got ya a present." She told her and reached into her car to pull out another cup of coffee. She handed it to her. "Boston's best!" She smirked. Maura took a sip and sighed in appreciation.

"Thanks Janey."

"No problem. Ma said she'd be here by now to help clean but I guess ..." Jane broke off as her father's van appeared and her mother climbed out of the passenger side.

"Thanks Frank, I'll get a lift home with Janey, bye honey!" She had a bag full of cleaning supplies. "Hi girls, where do we want to start." She sounded so enthusiastic that Jane groaned into her coffee and Maura nudged her whilst Angela was looking away toward the new house. They had spent an hour cleaning when the movers turned up. Maura stored most of the furniture in her garage and they finished cleaning the rest of the house. They called it a night at 8 o'clock and Jane and Maura dropped Mrs Rizzoli off on their way to Jane's apartment. They both collapsed on Jane's sofa, too exhausted to do anything but call for takeout. They ate their pizza in comfortable silence and were in bed by ten. As they settled into bed, they started talking.

"So when do you start your job?" Jane asked, and then yawned into Maura's hair.

"Monday." Maura said happily and scooted back further into Jane's arms. "Are you going to meet me for lunch?"

"I'll meet you for coffee first thing in the morning." They both fell asleep quickly. Jane was the first to wake up the next morning. She opened her eyes and was a little confused as to why her vision was cloudy until she took a deep breath and her favourite smell invaded her senses. Maura. She smiled and pulled Maura closer to her chest taking in the smell of lavender and something uniquely Maura. It had been her friend who used the lavender moisturiser and when Jane had commented, saying she liked the smell a year before she had gone to Doctors Without Borders, she found that every time Maura got herself some she got Jane some as well. Even when she had moved away, every few weeks she got a packet in the post on Maura's request.

"Go t'sleep." Maura mumbled at Jane's movements, waking up just enough.

"Sorry Princess, as you wish." Jane whispered softly. They both fell back into sleep with smiles on their faces.

The next week, true to her word, Jane met Maura outside the precinct with a cup of coffee and a smile. "You ready?" Jane asked.

"Yes, I'm very ready." Maura replied. Jane took Maura to the Commander's office and gave her a quick hug for luck and headed to the bullpen. She was still there an hour later when she heard the Commander's voice and the clicking of some very familiar heels.

"And this is the homicide office. You'll be working closely with the Detective's in here. This is Detective Crowe, Detective Adams and Detective Peroni." He introduced Maura to these men and Jane watched with narrowed eyes as Crowe basically fell over himself to shake her hand. Maura was amused at this and glanced at Jane with a smirk and then she saw Jane's narrowed gaze and followed the Commander to greet the other three Detectives in the room. "And this is Detective Korsak, our veteran, Detective Frost, our newbie and of course, Detective Rizzoli, she's quite a rising star herself." Maura shook hands with Frost, smiled at Korsak who waved back with a wink and then hugged Jane.

"Hey Maur." Jane smirked as she hugged Maura back and saw Crowe's jaw drop and the Commander's look of confusion.

"Jane and I are old friends." Maura supplied at the confused look on his face. "And yes, I believe she is quite a rising star!"

Jane flushed but ignored this comment and carried on the conversation. "You having the five cent tour Maura?" Jane asked.

"Yes, David here had given me the tour and I have my ID all sorted." She showed Jane the picture.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Why do you always look like you're about to do a photo shoot?"

Maura smiled. "Well it was a photo shoot. Although I'm sure the type you had in mind was more of the fashion magazine type."

"It's good to see you again Doc." Korsak smiled. They stood chatting for a few minutes until the Commander excused himself.

Over the next few months, Maura established quite a name for herself amongst the Detectives. They all knew Dr Isles was the best and knew her work was exceptional. After she turned Crowe down he started calling her 'Queen of the Dead'. A nickname he didn't dare repeat in front of Maura or Jane.

About a week after Maura had started working at BPD, she and Jane were talking at Jane's desk in the bullpen, laughing as they were trying to decide where they were going for dinner. It was just over 20:00 but they had been working later when Jane's cell phone rang.

"Rizzoli." She answered with a smile. Maura watched as the smile slowly fell from her face and was replaced with a fierce scowl. "He did what?!" She yelled as she jumped to her feet. "I'm on my way."

"What's wrong?" Maura asked as she stood and followed Jane as she practically ran from the room.

"It's Tommy." Jane growled. "He's been arrested for a DUI." She told Maura as she repeatedly hit the button for the elevator.

"What?"

"And he's run over a priest!"

"Janey, please calm down." Maura pleaded, placing her hand on Jane's arm. "Storming in on this and shouting at Tommy won't help him or you get through this."

"It's his third DUI Maura!" She yelled. "I think yelling is pretty much expected in this situation." She pulled her arm away from Maura as she paced the short space in the elevator. Maura pressed the stop button and felt the elevator stop. "Maura, what ..." She started to ask but Maura had taken hold of her hands and was looking her straight in the eyes.

"It's not your fault Janey. Please _don't_ take this on your shoulders and then do or say anything you'll regret to Tommy." Jane took a deep breath as she looked into Maura's eyes. "I can't promise that I won't yell but I'll try to control myself."

"I'll be there too." Maura grinned.

"Ok." Jane said, as she tried to control her anger that was rapidly dying away at the contact anyway.

Tommy was sent to prison and as much as Jane was upset about that she was more upset about the fact her parents kept making excuses for him but she comforted herself in the knowledge that nothing could get worse.

It was July when it happened. Jane and Maura had been at the Rizzoli's for Sunday dinner, a weekly dinner that neither Jane nor Maura (now she was back in Boston) could get out of. Jane and Frankie were playing basketball in the front driveway and Maura had been sat with a cup of coffee. Both Jane and Maura were on call so neither were drinking. She had an open book on her lap but was to entertained watching Jane and Frankie play. They got so competitive. Frankie had grown into a better player than Jane, which she privately thought was good for the Detective. She was a graceful loser because she did sometimes lose after all. She glanced down at her book only to snap her gaze back up again when she heard a crack and Jane's voice cry out in pain. She raced to Jane.

"Are you ok Janey?" She asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." She told Maura gently before turning her eyes to Frankie. "Thanks Frankie." She said sarcastically, punching her brother in the arm to emphasise her point.

"Let me see Jane." Maura said, taking Jane's hand away from her nose. "It's a hairline fracture, it's not disfiguring." Maura winced as Jane groaned in pain.

"Can you pop it out for me Maur?"

"Can't you do something safe? Like yoga?" Maura asked with a grin.

"Remember how yoga worked out Maura, I dislocated my shoulder." Jane reminded her softly.

"Well, you were playing around with the balancing ball before the session." She moved closer to Jane and looked into her eyes. "This will hurt a little."

"Ok." Jane replied. Maura looked intently at her nose and with a soft pop, put her nose back into place. "Ow! Jesus!" Jane swore. "A little?" she asked. Frankie snorted in laughter and this time Maura hit Frankie.

"You fractured her nose Frankie, that's not funny."

Jane stuck her tongue out at Frankie and he sighed. "We should get you a cloth for that blood." He suggested and they all trooped inside. Frankie quickly grabbed a towel and handed it to Jane. She had just put it to her nose when Mrs Rizzoli came through the door. Maura grinned as Mrs Rizzoli started ranting about her best towels. She had bought those for Mrs Rizzoli the Christmas before she left for Doctors Without Borders. Jane's phone ringing stopped the argument and Maura checked her phone that had been sat next to Jane's. She quickly returned the missed calls that were there as Jane hung up and turned to tell her mother they had to go.

"I'm sorry Mrs Rizzoli but Jane is right, we are on call." Maura interrupted the conversation between Jane and her mother.

"Ok." Mrs Rizzoli sighed. "Here Janey, don't forget to ice your nose. You never know who you'll meet."

"Yeah Ma coz I meet so many great guys at work, too bad they're all dead." She replied sarcastically. They said their goodbyes and Maura drove as Jane changed. When they got to the scene, Jane told Maura to go in whilst she finished getting changed. Maura smiled at her and quickly walked past the press with a quick. "I'll have a statement for you later tonight Kitty." She didn't like having to deal with the press, they had a way of twisting facts. A few minutes later Jane was ready and walked up just in time to hear Crowe call Maura Queen of the Dead again.

"What's that Crowe?" She said menacingly. Crowe rolled his eyes and tried to come up with something sarcastic. Jane had great pleasure in telling him he was no longer on the case. After grabbing Frost, they walked into the house and she was surprised to see Korsak. They walked into the main crime scene. Maura was inspecting the body and after a few observations she looked up to see Jane had clearly left the ice in her car,

"You know you're supposed to keep your nose iced over the next twenty four hours so you don't look like Mike Tyson." She smirked. Jane rolled her eyes and they were back to discussing the case. It didn't take long for the pieces to fit for Jane. The Surgeon was back. This was his M.O. She kept silent during Maura's indignant reply to Korsak and his assurance that Hoyt was still in prison to realise one thing.

"Hoyt trained an apprentice." She said grimly.

As they were processing the scene and Maura authorised the removal of the body, there was a new arrival. Agent Dean was nice to look at, she had to admit, but she was far too distracted to focus by the cute little looks Maura kept giving her. She mentally shook herself. Really? That's what she was going to think about right now? She forced her thoughts back to the case and Agent Dean. When she got home late that evening, she pulled out her phone and dialled the number she knew better than her own.

"Hey." Maura answered. "Are you ok Janey?"

"Yes, I just can't believe that monster has found a way to hurt people from behind bars! And he knows who the apprentice is, that's what gets me." She sighed.

"Jane, no." Maura said.

"I have to Princess."

"No you don't, it's what he wants, why give him what he wants?" Maura asked.

"If I can stop another couple from being harmed by getting something out of Hoyt to go on, that's why."

There was a pause.

"I'm not going to talk you out of this am I?" Maura asked, heavily.

"You know better than anyone how stubborn I can be." She said playfully, trying to lighten the mood. Maura chuckled nervously before changing the topic to Mr Yager's autopsy results.


	17. Chapter 17 - Stuck

A.N. I love the end to the this chapter ;) hope you enjoy!

_A true friend is the one who can see the pain in your eyes while everyone else believes the smile on your face - Unknown_

Chapter Seventeen - Stuck

The next day was pretty much what Jane had expected. She met with Hoyt who was his usual self and then they got a call, having found the body of the wife. She felt ridiculous but she saw the looks Maura was giving Agent Dean so she put a little lip gloss on. She wished she hadn't when Crowe was the one to notice. She found herself at another autopsy that day and knew that Dean knew more than he was letting on about the murders when he asked for a wet rap.

The rest of the day passed in a blur for Jane and it wasn't until lunch time the next day that she finally felt like smiling. She hadn't seen Maura since the crime scene the night before so she took them both some tuna to eat. The smile on her face was enough to cheer herself up and then being sarcastic to Dean about 'chick food' on top was even better but then he told her that Hoyt had escaped.

When she got home that night she had to usher Frost and Frankie from her apartment before she called Maura.

"Has your mother turned up yet?" Maura asked, without even a hello.

"No." Jane sighed. "She didn't tell you she was going to, did she?"

"No I haven't spoken to her. I just know how your mother reacts." There was another pause. "Please come and stay with me?"

"No Maur, I'm not being chased out of my home by Charles Hoyt!"

"It would make me feel better."

Jane's guilt intensified and there was a knock at the door. "Hang on Princess." She pulled her gun and peeped through the peep hole. She sighed. "Good call on Ma" Jane told Maura and then opened the door.

"That lipstick doesn't flatter you, it's too pink babe." Mrs Rizzoli said as she entered. Jane could hear Maura laughing as she heard what Mrs Rizzoli had said. She walked into the kitchen and started pulling out cleaning supplies. "Say hi to Maura for me, it's a good job someone stayed at home, your brother is outside, your father is also."

"Oh my God did you bring the dog too?" Jane asked exasperatedly.

"Why would I bring the dog?" Mrs Rizzoli asked and started cleaning.

"What Ma? Oh come on! It's the middle of the night!" Jane growled.

"Who could sleep? Ever since you had this crazy idea to become a police officer, I haven't stopped worrying, I never know if you're coming home!" Mrs Rizzoli yelled. Jane sighed and Maura sighed along with her, these arguments had been coming from Mrs Rizzoli for as long as Maura had known Jane. "And your brother Frankie wants to do exactly what you do, everything you do he follows it and Maura isn't exactly in a risk free career either!"

"I'm leaving."

"You're leaving? Where are you going?" Mrs Rizzoli asked as Jane rummaged through her drawer to get her keys and badge.

"Someplace where you're not." Jane said and went over to pick up her gun before opening the door.

"Jane, Jane, come on, they don't pay you enough money, they don't pay me at all." Jane just looked at her mother and left, closing the door behind her.

"Hey Princess?" She said, her phone still to her ear. "I'm on my way." She hung up before Maura replied and less than half an hour later she pulled up to Maura's house. She opened her front door with her key. "Maura! I'm here!" She yelled, toeing off her shoes. "Ma was driving me crazy!" She shouted taking off her coat and stopped as she turned and saw Dean talking with Maura.

"Hi Jane." Maura smiled, missing the curious look Dean was giving them but Jane didn't. "Just go get yourself a drink, I'll be right there." Jane finished hanging her coat up and walked past Dean, trying not to wonder what he was doing there with _her _Maura. She sighed and pulled out one of her beers that Maura kept there for her and had a few long gulps. She closed her eyes as the cool liquid ran down her throat and then she felt Maura's arms wrap around her waist. "Are you staying tonight?" She asked.

Jane dodged the question with one of her own. "Was I interrupting something?"

Maura laughed. "It was professional, he wanted me to check over another case for him and no, before you ask, I can't say what the case is about." She squeezed her arms tighter around her friend's waist. "Maybe you should date him, someone should don't you think?"

"Can't we just show him our tits and let him decide?" Maura playfully slapped Jane's stomach before dropping her arms and Jane turned to face her.

"I'm tired, can we go to bed now?" Maura asked. Jane nodded and they got changed quickly. It was a few minutes later when Jane had settled against Maura with her arms wrapped around her friend's waist that she spoke again.

"I've never been so scared in all my life." She whispered her confession into Maura's hair. Maura interlaced the fingers of her right hand with Jane's left and the fingers of her left with Jane's right.

"I've got you Janey." Maura whispered.

"I know Princess, I know."

Jane woke first the next morning to find that her left hand was now resting underneath Maura's silk pyjama top on Maura's taut stomach. She groaned internally and slowly removed her hand until it rested back on her pyjama top but inched herself closer, enjoying the warmth coming from her friend. This wasn't something they did anymore, sleeping like this, other than if one or both needed comfort in some way and she missed the summer where they spent every night like this.

Later that morning, they were up and dressed at the station and Jane tried to bring Korsak some coffee and had a brief exchange with Crowe. After a few attempts from Korsak to annoy Jane about her new partner and the coffee she had brought him, Jane huffed her way back to her desk and Korsak felt awful about how he acted.

"Hey, about the other day, I should have given you a heads up." He said.

"It's ok." Jane replied.

"No, it's not." Korsak said. "I'm sorry"

"I'm sorry too Korsak." They both looked at each other and an understanding passed between them that was interrupted by the ringing of the phone bringing news of another victim. When Jane and Maura were at the crime scene later that day, Jane had a delivery from Hoyt. At the station, Jane was trying to figure out the anagram that the name on the card was signed as.

"Ted Bundy!" She exclaimed.

Maura looked up from her conversation with Korsak to say. "That's five letter too many for that anagram."

Jane could feel herself growing frustrated but she clamped down on the outburst she longed to throw out. It wasn't Maura's fault she had a sociopath coming after her ... again, but she loved it when Maura showed just how quick her mind was. "How did you that ... fine, Theodore Bundy, he was fascinated by necrophilia just like the apprentice, I bet that's why Jill Yager's body was laid out like his lover."

"So he could visit." Maura finished Jane's thought and they both looked at the crime scene photo's grimly.

"Anytime he wanted." Jane said, finishing Maura's sentence. "But we found her so he had to kill again this time with Hoyt. My guess is Carina Grant is his new girlfriend." She mused. Her phone rang and it was Frost. After she had told Frost to hide his car, she hung up and turned to face Maura, a plan already forming in her mind. As she looked up at her friend, she sighed. She knew this was going to be a hard sell. "You are not going to like what we are about to do."

When they got to the woods, Maura the body as Jane told Frost to call Korsak to tell him the plan.

"What plan?" Maura asked.

"We're going to surveil this body." Jane told her after a deep breath.

"What ... you mean leave her here?" Maura asked, sounding scandalised and upset at the very thought. Jane's heart clenched. Maura cared so much about everyone, she didn't believe people should care any less about people just because they had died.

"I said you wouldn't like it. Let's go." She tried to get her friend to leave.

"No! I'm calling my team." Maura pulled her phone out and started to dial. She couldn't leave this poor woman here. She didn't understand why Jane would ask her that. She was right about the fact she wouldn't like it.

"Maura, they weren't expecting anyone to find this body, look at where she's hidden. Hear me out." She said at the unmoved look on Maura's face. "Hear me out. We get the hell out of here. We put both the park entrances under surveilance."

"What makes you think Hoyt isn't watching you right now?" Maura asked. Logically she knew that Jane wanted to have Hoyt caught and back in prison as soon as possible but why did this body have to stay here? Especially if Hoyt was already following Jane, biding his time. This thought made her uneasy and she quickly glanced around.

"He might be. I am willing to take that gamble." Jane replied. A gamble? Was all this a game to Jane? She couldn't let her do this to herself. She huffed impatiently.

"By leaving this body here in hopes that they'll return? No! Every second she stays here, more forensic evidence is lost."

"Maura please." Jane said, getting desperate. "The faster we get out of here, the better chance we have of not being discovered, ok? Because if we don't do this, then we got nothing." Maura knew this was Jane's real fear. This woman's body really was the only lead they had. She mentally started weighing up the pros and cons to this as Jane continued. "If we take this body back now, all we'll find out is ... yep she's dead and they killed her." She knew Jane had a point but it still wasn't enough reason to leave the body there like that. And then Jane said the only thing Maura knew could change her mind. "Please ... do this for me?"

Maura looked up at Jane and knew she couldn't say no to her. Maura agreed and they made their way back to where Frost was standing with the man who had found the body. Jane walked Maura back to her car as Frost was discussing arrows with the young man. Jane opened the car door for Maura.

"Thanks for this Maura, I know you don't want to leave her there, neither do I really but we have to do something and I promise you I won't let them get near to her." Jane said, emphatically. Maura gently placed her hand on Jane's that rested on the top of the door.

"I know you will Jane. Just ... be careful."

"I'm always careful." Jane winked. This didn't help the growing sense of unease that Maura was feeling but it did make her laugh.

She had felt a little guilty about telling Agent Dean but Jane hadn't told her that she specifically couldn't tell Dean. She had heard about Korsak. The whole precinct was buzzing about it and she had to admit she was a little worried. She turned around to see Jane stomping in holding a dog, that was new, she frowned to herself.

"Guess where I've been?" She asked, looking really annoyed, Maura deflected this straight away.

"How's Korsak?" She asked.

"He's fine ... no he's not fi ... he'll be fine. You told Agent Dean where we were didn't you?"

"I did." Maura admitted.

"Without telling me?" Jane asked, Maura almost flinched. She was always honest with Jane, she had just wanted Jane to be safer. Surely having another armed law enforcement officer there was better than not. She still couldn't stand the thought that Jane might have been hurt, after all Korsak had been. She looked up at Jane. She wasn't sorry that she'd told Dean but she was sorry she'd upset her.

"I'm sorry." Maura replied, turning her gaze from Jane's, she was sure Jane would be able to see the truth behind her words.

"Oh you're sorry, sorry that I treated a senior federal agent like a perp? ... I tackled him Maura, in a creek."

"Well that's unfortunate." Maura said. She hadn't thought Jane would attempt to physically hurt the man. "But there's a fine line between bravery and stupidity."

"Yes a fine thin blue line." Jane growled. The dog in her arms barked. "Thank you." Jane muttered. Catching the look on Maura's face, Jane said. "What? You have a turtle." Jane knew full well that Maura had a tortoise not a turtle but she loved how Maura corrected her.

"Tortoise." Maura sighed.

"Whatever." Jane replied. Maura wrinkled her nose at the smell. If Jane was going to keep this animal it would have to be well cared for.

"Well at least give her a bath." She suggested and gestured towards the industrial sink. Jane sighed and they walked over in silence and Jane started to wash the little dog. Maura watched Jane's face as she did so, seeing the tension there. "Did you really tackle him?" Maura asked, she knew the entire Rizzoli family loved to exaggerate their stories.

"Like a line backer ... it was very professional." Jane said, trying not to let Maura's mind wander to thoughts of her and Dean.

Maura laughed. "You were very brave." She grinned.

"No I'm just tired of being afraid." Jane admitted. Maura's laughter stopped and they both looked down at the dog. The next thing Jane knew, she had an arm full of her best friend. Maura wrapped her arms around Jane's waist and rested her head on her friend's shoulder. Jane tried her best to return the hug without putting her wet hands on Maura's designer clothes. She closed her eyes and breathed in her favourite smell.

"You don't have to be afraid, Janey. Hoyt won't be able to get near you. No one will let him, not again."

That evening, Jane was trying to figure out what Hoyt's plan would be this time when there was a knock at the door. Opening it she found Agent Dean stood there. Once she had dismissed Frost, she decided against shooting him, Maura wouldn't be happy about that, so she invited him in for a coffee. They talked about Hoyt and how he came after her. It was only when he asked if she wanted him to stay that she realised he was flirting with her. She panicked.

"No! No ... I mean not no but no. No" She stammered and watched as Dean left. "No?" she said to herself. That was by far the most awkward she'd been for years. She tried to stay busy at her apartment but she was tired and then couldn't sleep so she packed up some clothes for the next day and headed to Maura's. She let herself in again and found Maura huddled up on the sofa, reading what looked like a paper of some kind.

"I wasn't expecting you tonight, Janey." Maura said, without looking up.

"I wasn't going to come but I couldn't sleep." Jane sighed and sat down next to Maura who automatically stretched her legs over Jane's. Jane started rubbing her feet and they sat like that for a few minutes before Jane yawned widely. Maura knew she wanted to sleep so she stood and held her hand out to Jane who took it and followed Maura into her bedroom. They got ready in silence and it was Jane who got into bed first. A few minutes later, Maura crawled across the bed towards Jane and lay down in her arms. Jane's tired brain had enjoyed the image of the woman she loved crawling towards her in nothing but her old faded baseball jersey and a pair of tight shorts. She pulled Maura closer as always and smiled as she finally felt the sense of peace and calm that she always associated with Maura.

"Night Janey." Maura mumbled, she was tired too and fell asleep just as Jane replied.

"Night Princess ... love you."


	18. Chapter 18 - When You're Gone

I'm really sorry about the delay again, I'll try and do better now Hope you guys enjoy!

_I__ cannot imagine the loss of a loved one but I can feel what it is to miss a loved one__ - Unknown_

Chapter Eighteen - When You're Gone

The next morning Maura and Jane drove to work and Jane spent the day trying to work through the clues they did have, only pausing for lunch at Maura's insistence. Later that day Maura decided to take some coffee to Jane. As she entered the bullpen she heard Jane sigh. "God Ma! Give it a rest!" She threw her phone on the desk and smiled tightly at Maura. "Yay! Caffeine!" She took a sip and the phone went again so she picked it up, cancelled the call and threw it back onto the desk.

"What's my ringtone?" Maura asked, interested.

Jane smirked and picked up her phone and selected the song in question. As the funeral march played Maura grinned. "Cheery." They both laughed but the laughter faded from Maura as she remembered the conversation she'd had with Agent Dean earlier that day. "I have to go to Quantico tomorrow, they want me to consult on a case."

"Now? In the middle of this?" Jane asked, looking upset. Maura sighed she knew she shouldn't tell Jane this but she had to, Jane was her best friend.

She looked around and whispered. "Jane, they believe the case connected to some murders in Afghanistan, they think the apprentice is a soldier." Jane opened her mouth to retort but Maura shook her head. "No Jane, you know I shouldn't have even told you that much." Jane smiled softly at her friend. If she had never met Maura until she had joined the BPD she knew that she wouldn't have even told her that much. She reached for Maura's hand and glanced around again.

Everyone was still involved in their own conversations. "I know Princess and thanks, I'm going to shake all of this out of Dean, ok?"

Maura nodded and squeezed Jane's hand. "Please don't lose your temper with him Jane. I know how you get about that sociopath." If anyone else had said this Jane knew that she would have taken that as an insult but with Maura, especially with her looking at her like that, she just melted.

She smiled crookedly. "I wouldn't call Dean a sociopath per se ..." She stood and walked out of the room to Maura's laughter.

The meeting with Dean and his superior went about as well as could be expected and she was feeling a little better about the situation and then Dean asked her out again. She hesitated. A small part of her thought it might be a good idea. A larger part of her felt guilty about dating someone when she was in love with Maura. The rest of her was berating herself for letting the feelings she had for her best friend get in the way of a potentially nice guy when she was never going to be able to actually date Maura. Dean was called away and just as she was about to decide to give Dean a chance, her phone rang. It was Maura. Instantly she felt guilty again.

"Hey Maura."

"Jane, I'm at your apartment."

"Oh? Are we having a movie night?" She smirked.

"Jane, Hoyt's been here." Jane heart stopped.

"I'm on my way." She hung up and left, Dean completely forgotten. When she pulled up at her apartment, Dean was on the line again telling her that they had found where the apprentice lived and were on their way there to arrest him. She was about to go up to her apartment when she was stopped by an M.E.'s assistant.

"Detective Rizzoli? Dr Isles asked for you to identify the body?" He asked.

"The body? ... Who?" Jane asked confused, Maura surely would have told her about Hoyt having killed someone.

"Late twenty's, Caucasian, Dr Isles said it was your neighbour."

Jane's heart sank. "Marrisa?" She climbed into the van ahead of the man repeating "No." to herself and when she opened the zip on the body bay, her heart was in her throat again at the sight of the man before her.

"Surprise." He grinned manically and reached forward. Before Jane had the chance to react he had shocked her with a taser. She felt the pain as her body spasmed and fell back and then she fell into darkness.

Maura paced in the corridor outside of Jane's apartment, her phone in her hand.

"Relax Doc, I'm sure she'll be here real soon." Korsak said.

"Yeah Dr Isles, we don't know if she hit traffic or something." Frost weighed in.

"I can't explain it Detectives." Maura said, frustrated. "But that's the third time I've called and it's rang out to voicemail. Jane never ignores my calls. Sometimes she'll ignore her mother's calls but never mine." She sighed. "I'm going to call Agent Dean." She dialled and Korsak and Frost looked at each other, trying not to smirk. The way these two interacted was a cause for most of the betting pools at the station. "... I'll let you know." Maura said into the phone and hung up. She turned, looking stricken. "He spoke to Jane over an hour ago. She said she was here!"

The smiles on Frost and Korsak's faces instantly vanished and they all burst into a flurry of activity.

As Jane came to, she became aware of several things at once. The first was there was something sticky covering her mouth, the second was that her wrists were stuck together, the third was that her legs were bound together as well and her back was touching something flat and cold.

Hoyt! She looked quickly around.

"You looking for this?" He asked, showing her service weapon. He sighed. "You know your problem is that your heart rules your head." He pondered and then pulled off the sticky tape over her mouth.

"Where's your little helper?" She asked.

"He's getting ready for our final game." Hoyt smiled. "I'm so happy to finish what we started." She flinched at the coolness of the blade from his scalpel. He then made a shallow cut on her neck and it took all Jane had not to cry out. Just as he removed the scalpel, she heard her phone start to ring. The sound was coming through the window to the driver's cab. It was Maura's ringtone. "That's such a lovely song, so appropriate don't you think? And it keeps playing too. I think the world is trying to prepare you Detective."

Hoyt then stood up and as his apprentice opened the back of the van. They both left, leaving it clear for Jane to try and find something, anything to help her.

A flare.

She paused, her mind racing, that could work. She hadn't actually anticipated how hot the flare would be but at the pained yell from Hoyt, she felt a little better about the plan. She grabbed the taser and zapped Hoyt for as long as it held a charge. She tried to recharge the taser an then she hit the apprentice with a small charge which knocked him off his feet. He dropped her gun and they both raced for it. Jane reached it first and quickly shot him. Everything was still and Jane gasped in relief, groaning at the pain and the adrenaline rushing through her system. She cut the tape binding her and got to the gun just as Hoyt was about to beat her to it. Jane pointed her gun at Hoyt and for a second she contemplated pulling the trigger. She'd be free of him once and for all but then Maura's face flashed across her mind. If she killed him now, she would be no better than he was and Maura would know, she would know that she had pulled the trigger without actually being in immediate danger like she had been with the apprentice. She felt a rush of anger at Hoyt. She altered the place she was shooting to and pulled the trigger.

"We match." She told Hoyt coldly and returned to the van to grab a roll of duct tape that had clearly been used to tie her up with earlier. She made quick work of tying Hoyt up and then searched the can. She found her phone and shield in the cab and noticed all the missed calls from Maura. She knew she should call in the cavalry first but Maura was probably with Frost and Korsak anyway. Maura answered on the first ring.

"Janey?" She asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Hey Princess, I'm fine I swear and I have Hoyt. Can you have Frost and Korsak get back up to me?" She asked.

"Where are you?" Maura asked quickly.

"I have no idea." Jane grimaced. She heard Frost say something in the background. "Detective Frost is going to trace the GPS on your phone. Are you sure you're ok?" Maura asked again. Jane didn't like hearing the worry in her friend's voice.

"I have a few cuts and bruises but I'm ok. The apprentice is dead and Hoyt is injured but I'm sure none of us will lose any sleep over that."

"I'll call my team and I'll see you soon." There was another pause. "You scared me Janey."

"I'm so sorry Princess."

"I'm not blaming you!" Maura exclaimed.

"How about we talk about this later." She glanced towards Hoyt who was watching her with interest. "Drinks, my treat?"

"Ok, Frost had your location, we're on our way." They hung up and Jane threw a disgusted look at Hoyt.

"Who's your Princess Janey?" He smirked. "I had no idea you were into girls as well, I'm having delicious thoughts about you both now."

"Shut up!" Jane roared. "You will never get near her let alone touch her, she's perfect!"

Hoyt grinned feverishly. "I seem to have touched a nerve Ja ..." Jane lunged forward and punched him, hard. He was knocked out with the single punch.

"Shit!" Jane winced and looked at her bleeding knuckles. She turned to the unconscious Hoyt. "Stop calling me Janey!" She said heatedly, despite him not being able to hear. It didn't take long for Maura, Frost and Korsak to turn up. Hoyt was immediately taken away and Maura came over to Jane who had been dragged to the ambulance.

"Jane! Are you ok?" Maura asked. Jane was swatting at the paramedic who was trying to sort out the wound on her neck and the cuts on her hands.

"Get away from me!" She hissed at the paramedic who looked helplessly at Maura as she put her hand on Jane's arm. Jane stopped swatting at him and turned to look at Maura.

"It's ok." Maura said to the paramedic. "I'm Dr Isles, I'll deal with the Detective's wounds." She smiled. He blushed, nodded and left quickly. Maura turned her attention back to Jane who had grabbed her hand and was holding it tightly. "Jane I'll need my hand." She smiled softly at her friend. She desperately wanted to hug her but with all the officers milling around the crime scene, she knew that would make Jane uncomfortable when she got back to her usual self. Jane complied and Maura moved closer to look at the wound on her neck. Jane tilted her head to allow Maura to clean it and reached out to rest her hand on Maura's hip, bunching the material of her shirt there into her fist. They didn't talk for a few minutes as Maura put steristrips onto the cut on her neck and placed a bandage over it to keep it clean.

"Are you ok?" She asked softly, making sure they weren't being over heard. She dropped her hand from Jane's neck and took her other hand lightly in hers. Jane nodded but didn't reply. Maura saw Dean on his way over so she stepped back, letting go of her hand and causing Jane to let go of her shirt. "I'm going to make sure the body is being collected correctly." Maura told her. "I'll give you a ride back to the station, if you'd like, you'll need to give your statement."

"Thanks Maur."

Maura walked away and smiled at Dean as he went to sit next to Jane. They spoke for a few minutes. Jane was too tired to try and see any date through, no matter how cute Dean was so she thanked him and walked towards Maura's car. Sighing in contentment, she closed her eyes and sank into the passenger seat, waiting for her friend. She was only there for ten minutes when the driver's door opened and Maura got into the car. They didn't talk as Maura pulled away from the scene and they headed back towards the city. It was Jane who broke the silence.

"Why can't he leave me alone?" She asked sadly, fidgeting in her seat.

Maura sighed. He's going back to jail, where he belongs Janey."

They didn't say anything else as Maura continued driving. Jane needed to think and Maura was going to let her.

Later that evening she made her way over to Jane's apartment, she knew Jane would need help tidying and she wanted to give her the present she had picked out for her. It seemed Jane was ready to have a pet, she still had her dog so she was returning her as well. Jane was sat in front of her open door as Maura appeared.

"Hey." Jane said.

"Hey." Maura replied. "I wanted you to see for yourself what extraordinary creatures they are." Maura smiled and handed her a tank with a little tortoise in it.

"Thanks?" Jane replied, a little unsure.

"I thought you might need some help cleaning up." She put her bag down and pulled out some gloves.

"Uh yeah ..." Jane said heavily. She stood up. "Alright let me get you some work clothes." Jane knew how much Maura's clothes cost.

"These are my work clothes." Maura told her. They both laughed. "Don't like?" Maura asked. Jane's eyes wandered over her friend. She blinked as her mind wandered too much and turned her attention back to the tortoise Maura had just given her.

"Aww, they are kinda cute when they're small." She said to change the topic so she wouldn't have to answer.

"I told you." Maura said and moved to stand next to Jane. "So where do you want me to start?"

They both looked around the apartment and Jane sighed. "Come on." She said, grabbing her keys and walking towards the door.

"What?" Maura asked confused.

"Let's go do something, have a bloody Mary or go see a movie. Lately it's like we only spend time together at Ma's or at a crime scene. This is a crime scene and I sure as hell don't want to go to Ma's. Let's go!"

"Great!" Maura smiled, pulling off her gloves and picking up her bag. She stopped by Jane as she was holding open the door for her. "Dressed like that?" Maura asked.

"These are my going out clothes." Jane drawled, mocking Maura with a grin. They both laughed and left the apartment with Jane calling for her dog after initially forgetting she was there. They spent the evening at the Dirty Robber, chatting about anything and everything. After 11 o'clock, Maura told Jane she could stay at her house again and Jane readily accepted. They walked into Maura's house and went straight to her room. Jane sat at the end of the bed after she had changed, blinking tiredly as she looked around.

"Are you ok?" Maura asked as she came into the bedroom from the bathroom. She had changed into her pyjama's and was carrying a well stocked first aid kit.

"I'm just thinking." Jane replied. She watched as Maura walked up to her and put the kit on the bed next to her. She let Maura step in between her thighs and tilted her head so Maura could get to the cut on her neck again. Maura gently removed the bandage and examined the cut as Jane examined her.

When she had met Maura, she had been shy and had the cutest freckles flecked across her face. She had grown into a beautiful woman and Jane noticed that the freckles were still there when she took off her make up. She smiled to herself when she realised all it took to realise this was her Nonna telling her.

"Right I'm going to leave the bandage off over night." Maura told Jane as she stepped away. She put the supplies away and walked back into the bathroom to put them away. Jane climbed into her side of the bed and smiled as the soft comfort of the type of mattress Maura used enveloped her and she was surrounded by Maura's scent. She closed her eyes to enjoy the moment. A few minutes later the bed dipped and Maura got into bed as well. Jane didn't hesitate before she pulled Maura into her arms but instead of their usual sleeping position, Maura rested her head on Jane's shoulder, her lips inches from the cut on Jane's neck and her arm thrown across Jane's waist. They lay quietly for a few minutes. "I almost lost you today." Maura said, quietly.

Jane wrapped her arms around Maura's shoulder and waist to bring her closer. She wrapped herself around her best friend, sliding her leg between Jane's.

"I can't promise that I'll never leave you Princess, but I can promise I'll do everything I can to make sure I don't take unnecessary risks." Maura gripped Jane's tank top in her hand and the two women let themselves be pulled into a dream filled sleep.


	19. Chapter 19 - Of Best Friends & Birthdays

_A gift consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer - __Lucius Annaeus Seneca_

Chapter Nineteen - Of Best Friends and Birthdays

September came all too quickly for Jane that year. It was her 30th and all her Ma had been telling her recently was that it really was time she settled down with someone. It was her Nonna she called when her mother finally said too much and caused her to hand her phone up with a satisfying slam.

"Please calm down, my little whirlwind." Her Nonna said over the phone.

"Calm down! Nonna she think I'm with Maura or at the very least in love with her and she's trying to push me on all sorts of different men! Does she have no respect for me? Or Maura either for that matter?" Jane seethed, as she paced around her apartment.

"Your Ma is pushing you towards them to try to get you to confess either one of those truths," Nonna replied as though this was obvious, "And while we're on this topic, have you decided to tell her yet?" Nonna asked.

Jane sighed. Every time she spoke to Nonna since she had made her realise her true feelings for Maura, Nonna had been pushing her to tell her friend. "Nonna we've been over this. I can't just tell her something like that. I'm her best friend and I'd rather have her in my life as that than not at all."

"That's crap Jane!" Nonna snorted.

"Excuse me?" Jane replied, shocked.

"You can't tell me that's the real reason. I know you too well for that. You're scared to tell her in case she doesn't have the same feelings. You know she'll always be your friend. Maura wouldn't get uncomfortable about it. She wouldn't know that she should be. You would."

"Nonna, I just ... can't"

"Won't you mean?" She clarified.

"Yes ok Nonna, I won't!" Jane exploded. "Why would I potentially put myself in the situation where any of what you just said could happen?"

"Because the reward is worth the risk," she said, "You could tell her at your party, wouldn't that be a nice 30th birthday present?" Jane could hear the smirk in the elder women's voice.

"Nonna!"

"I know, I know," Nonna laughed, "I have to go but please think about it at least?"

"It's all I think about." Jane admitted.

"I'll see you for your birthday, bye Jane, I love you."

"Love you too Nonna, bye." They hung up and Jane stared around her apartment. What was she going to do?

She had booked the week around her birthday off and begged Maura to let her stay with her so people didn't know where she was. Maura replied saying she was happy to have Jane stay but anyone who knew Jane would know if Jane wasn't at her own home, she would be at Maura's. Jane agreed that this was true but that most people wouldn't want to bother Maura in the same way they would bother Jane so the day of Jane's birthday saw her waking up in Maura's bed. She had her arms wrapped around Maura as usual and noticed that Maura was already awake and reading.

"Good morning and happy birthday Janey." Maura said as she sensed Jane waking up behind her.

"Morning," Jane replied sleepily, "You let me sleep in?" She asked looking at the clock.

"Well it is your birthday." Maura smiled gently to herself. She put her book down and turned around in Jane's arms so she could place her own around Jane's waist. She dropped her head to Jane's shoulder as Jane fell gently onto her back.

"Thanks Princess, I think I really needed the sleep." She yawned.

They stayed lying quietly for a few minutes until Jane's phone started vibrating on her bedside table. Jane groaned.

"It'll be your mother again. She's already called seven times this morning." Maura told her. Jane's phone stopped. "She'll ring mine again any ..." Before Maura even finished talking, her phone started vibrating too. Jane laughed softly.

"She'll try your landline in a minute." Jane told her.

"Most likely," Maura agreed, "She hasn't so far this morning though, however I'm sure our luck will not last." The phone had stopped by now and they were resting quietly in each other's arms when the doorbell rang. "Or she could forgo phones entirely." Maura giggled. She kissed Jane's collarbone and got out of bed. "I'll go answer the door." Jane watched Maura leave, enjoying the view of Maura in her silk shorts and the 'Honorary Rizzoli' Red Sox jersey that she refused to throw out. Once Maura was out of sight, she yawned, stretched and padded into Maura's ensuite before bracing herself to face her mother. As she walked down the stairs she heard Maura talking in the kitchen and she paused.

"... down in a moment." Maura said.

"Down? I thought your spare room _was_ down here?" Mrs Rizzoli asked.

"It is. Jane and I sleep together." Maura said, matter of factly. Jane smirked as her mother started coughing. "Angela are you ok?" Maura asked, sounding panicked. Jane continued down the stairs and watched her mother's eyes snap from Maura to Jane, who smirked at her mother's narrowed eyes. She realised that she was currently only wearing an old pair of shorts and a vest top and Maura was likewise partially clothed in her silk shorts and baseball jersey.

"Is she ok Jane?" Maura asked anxiously, looking up at her quickly before returning her worried gaze back to Angela, "We were talking and she choked on her coffee.

"It's ok Princess. Ma just let her drink go down the wrong hole." She said as she grabbed a cup of coffee for herself. Angela coughed one final time.

"You two slept together?" She asked.

Maura frowned again. "Well yes," she said, "But you already knew we ..." Maura started to say and then caught the smirk on Jane's. "Oh ... yes we slept together but we didn't have sexual intercourse Angela." This time Jane choked.

"Maur!" She exclaimed.

"What?" Maura asked, "I was merely correcting your mother's ..."

"You could have just said 'we just slept in the same bed, nothing happened'." Jane growled.

"Jane are you sure ..." Mrs Rizzoli started to ask.

"Yeah Ma! I'm sure! Now" Why are you here this early?" Jane asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

"Well excuse me for wanting to make my daughter breakfast on her birthday. It's not my fault she's hiding at her best friend's house and they're wearing next to nothing after spending the night in the same bed." Mrs Rizzoli smirked at Jane and then turned to Maura with a critical eye. "By the way, Maura dear, we really should buy a larger jersey for you. You've ... filled out a bit since you bought that one."

Maura looked down and blushed as she realised what Mrs Rizzoli was referring to. Jane, on the other hand, was sputtering uselessly as she tried to say something. Finally she blurted, "Ma!" Loudly.

Mrs Rizzoli, however, had already returned to the bags she had clearly brought with her. "Ok I have stuff for eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, porridge, anything you girls want, I can whip up." She smiled at them as Jane wrapped Maura into a tight hug and whispered something into her ear. She couldn't hear it but Maura could.

"I'll buy you a new one but I think you look great." Jane let her go with a wink and headed to the table to sit down and Maura followed with a grin. They sat down and ate their breakfasts and Mrs Rizzoli eventually started asking about her birthday.

"So what time will you be arriving tonight?" Angela asked as she started cleaning the breakfast pots.

"A little after whatever time I get there." Jane muttered testily. Maura frowned at Jane and squeezed her thigh in warning under the table before turning to Mrs Rizzoli.

"We'll be there about six Angela." She told her with a smile.

"Thank you Maura dear, I'm glad one of you had some manners." Mrs Rizzoli snapped with a look at Jane.

"Well you raised me Ma." Jane grinned.

Mrs Rizzoli rolled her eyes and got back to drying the dishes as Maura turned to Jane. "Would you like one of your gifts now?" She grinned.

Jane looked quickly at Maura. "ONE of my gifts? You haven't gone overboard have you Maur?" She asked.

"No I don't think ... well I have spent slightly more than I usually do however I would not say I've gone 'overboard' it is your 30th afterall." She reasoned.

"Don't remind me." Jane groaned.

"So your present?" Maura asked eagerly.

Jane smiled at her friend. "Ok that'd be great."

Maura jumped up and ran up the stairs. Jane looked at her Ma and they shared an amused look.

"She does so much to make sure you're happy." Mrs Rizzoli mused, more to herself than to Jane.

Jane nodded, "She's my best friend Ma, I'd do anything to make her happy and I think she feels the same for me."

Angela looked like she wanted to reply but stayed silent as Maura bounded enthusiastically (and rather uncharacteristically) back into view. She was holding an envelope and hugged Jane around her shoulders from behind her and presented the envelope to her. "Happy Birthday Janey!"

Jane took the envelope and enjoyed the feeling of Maura's arms around her neck and shoulders as she pulled tickets from the envelope and her jaw dropped. "Maur ..."

"I was going to get you season tickets but I know you can't always go to every game so you'd be upset if I 'wasted' money on them, not that it would be a waste to me, so I decided on next season's opening game tickets. I got seats in the dug out, you always tell me they're the best seats, so I ..." this time Maura was cut off as Jane turned around in her arms to hug her properly.

"Thanks Princess." Jane smiled happily.

"You're welcome, I take it you like them." Maura replied. They pulled away from each other. Before they could say anything else, Angela spoke.

"Right Janey, I'm off now, don't be late tonight." She warned and then turned to Maura. "Can you make sure she's there on time Maura dear?" Angela asked tapping Maura gently on her shoulder.

Jane looked incredulously at them both. "I'm not _that_ bad at getting to places on time."

Maura sniggered as Angela looked at Jane as if to say, 'yeah right'.

"I'll make sure Angela." She smiled at Jane and rested her hand on Jane's arm when she went to retort again. Jane instantly snapped her mouth shut and they all said goodbye to each other. When Angela had gone, Maura turned to Jane and smiled. "So Janey, what would you like to do today?" She asked.

"Can we just sit and relax? tonight's gonna be stressful enough, I think it would be better if I arrived as stress free as possible."

They watched movies for the day and at six, Maura had them pulling up in front of the Rizzoli home. Jane groaned and slouched in her seat at the sight of the balloons and 30th Birthday banners in the window. "Why is my mother so embarrassing?" Jane said. Maura smiled at Jane as she parked the car and turned to face her sulking friend.

"She just loves you." Maura told her.

"I know, I just wish she was a little less ... demonstrative of how much she loves me."

"Janey, it's your 30th. Maybe she'll be better next year?" Maura said, trying and failing not to laugh.

"Just you wait Princess. It'll be your 30th next. If you think she's bad with me wait until she gets going with yours." Maura paled slightly as they got out of the car. When they opened the front door Jane was relieved to see that the house wasn't jam packed with people she didn't care about. There was her immediate family, Korsak, Frost and her Aunt Julia and Nonna. They all turned to look at Jane as she walked through the door. She paused in the hallway and grimaced as they all turned to her. Maura took her and led her into the room, letting go only as everyone stood up to greet her and wish her happy birthday. She smiled politely and greeted everyone. She hated being the centre of attention. It didn't take long for Jane to gravitate to stand next to Maura in the kitchen as she was helping her Ma to cook. Maura had dressed in one of her classy dresses and heels and right now was sipping her wine and chatting to Nonna about vinyards in Italy. The meal was over later than she had anticipated and she left with Maura the minute that the first guest left. When they got back to Maura's, she fell onto the sofa. Seconds later Maura beside her.

"Happy Birthday Janey." Maura said and placed a thin square package on her knee. Jane looked down and lifted the package before turning to look at Maura. "I know you're not going to be happy I got you something else but please Janey, I really want you to have this." Jane thought about replying but stopped at the look on Maura's face. She looked to the present and carefully opened it. Out came a first edition copy of Dr Seuss' "Oh, the places you'll go!" Jane opened the book to find it had been signed too.

"Maura ..."Jane breathed,

"I wanted to get you something special and I know how much you love Dr Seuss. I chose this one because it was published the year we met ..." Maura stopped talking at this point as Jane had pulled her into a tight hug. "I take it you like it." Maura grinned, returning the hug.

"Yes, I can't believe you did this, or remembered how much I loved his books." She said happily. As she there with Maura, she had to admit, as bad as the last year or so had been, this birthday was probably her best yet.


	20. Chapter 20 - For the Love of Parents

_Children__ begin by loving their parents; after a time they judge them; rarely, if ever, do they forgive them__ - Oscar Wilde_

Chapter Twenty - For the Love of Parents

October and November came and went and before they knew it Christmas was fast approaching. Two weeks before Christmas, Maura got an unexpected phone call.

"Dr Isles." She answer as her phone rang with an unknown number.

"Maura dear, it's your father." Professor Isles said.

"Hello father." Maura answered, leaning back into her chair. "How are you and mother?" She asked politely. She hadn't heard from her father since her birthday and she hadn't spoken to her mother since her birthday before. They did exchange emails on a semi regular basis however she was surprised to get this phone call.

"We're wonderful, your mother's new exhibit in Paris was extremely well received and my month long conference in Switzerland was a huge success."

"That's great news." Maura smiled.

"Yes and I hear you're making quite a name for yourself in Boston. My friends at BCU tell me you are often called upon for guest lectures."

"I try to as often as I'm asked." Maura told him. "Sometimes my job simply doesn't allow me the time."

"Well I wanted to tell you I'm very proud of you." He told her. Maura smiled widely, suddenly aware that her eyes were getting wet. "Thank you Dad."

"So." He coughed, clearly uncomfortable with the display of emotion he just gave. "Your mother and I will be in Boston this Christmas, I was hoping we could have Christmas dinner as family?" He asked. Maura's heart dropped.

"I'm sorry but I've already made plans." She said, apologetically.

"I understand, is there no possibility of cancelling then? It's not often your mother and I are in the same city at the same time recently." He asked.

"I can't, I've promised Jane's mother I'll help make Christmas dinner this year. She's promised to show me the family recipes but I'll be free Christmas Eve. I can forgo this usual Rizzoli Christmas movie tradition. Jane and the family will understand that I haven't seen you in a while."

"That sounds wonderful. I'll make the arrangements at the club." He said and she could hear the smile in his voice. "I really must dash now but I'll email you the arrangements."

"Ok I'll see you soon."

"Goodbye Maura."

They hung up and Maura stared at her phone for a few seconds, that was unexpected.

"Who will see you soon." Jane's voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up at her friend as she was leaning in the doorway.

"Mother and father are going to be in Boston for Christmas." She said and saw the slight shift in Jane's expressions before a forced smile came across her face.

"Don't worry Princess, I'll tell Ma why you can't make it." Jane smile sadly.

"What?" Maura asked, confused.

"To the Rizzoli Christmas madness, 'coz you'll be with your folks." Jane clarified.

Maura laughed. "No Jane, I'm meeting them on Christmas Eve. I wouldn't miss Christmas with your family. Your mother is showing me those recipes this year remember? And I'm sure Nonna would hunt me down."

They both laughed. "You're right."

Maura put her phone on her desk. "Did you need something Jane?" She asked.

"Yeah it's lunchtime, we need to get something to eat."

Surprised Maura looked at her watch. "Ok let's go." She smiled and grabbed her phone and coat before leaving her office.

They both got very busy in the lead up to Christmas and before Maura knew it she was heading to the club that her parents were members of. The restaurant was on the water front and was full of families. She spotted her parents in the corner and walked over. She smiled and greeted them, before taking a seat opposite them in the booth. They discussed her job and her mother's current exhibit whilst they had the first few courses. It was then her mother told her some new that distressed her.

"I had a call from Celia the other day," She told Maura who looked up in interest. Celia was the only friend of her mother who actually seemed interested in her work when they spoke at various functions. "She had terrible news, Kelly has been diagnosed with a brain tumour. She's been told there's nothing else they can do to help her and that she will be gone in just months."

Maura gasped in shock. Kelly was very similar to her mother in the fact that they were simply lovely people and worked hard. The fact that this was happening to such a lovely woman who had two small children and a wonderful husband was tragic.

"I can't think of anyone who would deserve that but especially not Celia and Kelly and their family." Her mother continued. Maura nodded, agreeing with her mother for what felt like the first time in a long time.

And then her mother spoke about her love life.

"Really Maura darling, you'll be twenty nine in May, it's not long before you hit thirty, don't you want to settle down with a nice man and have children?" She asked.

"Yes mother, I do want a family of my own but I love my life and my career and my friends. Honestly if that never happens I can't say I'd be disappointed with my life." She said calmly, ignoring the flicker of annoyance she felt at her mother's words, especially after her recent soft heartedness.

"Honestly Maura, you can't be serious."

Maura eyebrow rose up and she looked to her father. He sighed. "I don't care if you decided not to have children or even marry, but I would like to see you settled with someone who will care for you."

Maura didn't trust herself to speak so she took a sip of her water. The conversation had stopped at this point so she made it to the end of the dinner and wished her parents a Merry Christmas before leaving the club.

She drove straight to Jane's apartment, desperate for the comfort of her best friend, but there was no one home and she didn't have her key so she decided to walk off her mood. She had been walking for about an hour when the heavens opened. It was that bitter cold rain that was just at that point before the water would have frozen. She pulled her jacket tight around herself and headed back towards Jane's apartment. When she got there she saw Jane's car parked in it's usual place and the light was on it Jane's living room. She shivered as she felt the cold rain against her skin through her jacket. She wrapped her arms around herself and walked towards Jane's door. She knocked gently and heard the patter of Jo's paws as she made her way to scrape the back of the door and then heard Jane telling Jo off for scratching the door. The door swung open and Jane looked out at Maura. The slight smile on her face vanished as she saw Maura stood there, drenched and dripping water all over the floor in the corridor.

"Princess?" Jane asked, reaching for her. "What happened?" Jane pulled Maura into a tight hug ignoring the fact that her clothes were now soaked too. She coaxed Maura into the apartment and closed the door behind them. Maura settled her face into the crook of Jane's neck and felt the tears she had been trying to stop slip from her eyes. Jane didn't know what happened but was willing to bet Maura's parents had said something stupid again so she backed them over to the sofa and sat then down with Maura on her lap, somehow managing to not disturb Maura's position in the crook of her neck. She reached back and pulled the fleece from the back of the sofa and wrapped it around them both. They sat like that for a while, neither could say exactly how long but it was Maura who broke the silence. Her tears had all but stopped.

"My parents think I need to settle down with a man who can protect me. My mother thinks I have to have children." She spoke with her lips ghosting against Jane's neck. Jane had to suppress the shivers this cause her and listened to Maura as she spoke again. "My father respects my career but my mother thinks it's a joke."

Jane snorted. "This coming from the woman who uses garbage as art." She said sarcastically.

"Janey ..." Maura sighed.

"I know I'm sorry, but it makes me so mad, why don't they see what an amazing person you are?" Jane said, pulling Maura closer and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"You have to say that." Maura smiled. "You're my best friend."

"Damn straight!" Jane exclaimed with her own smile. She rubbed her hand up and down Maura's back underneath the fleece.

"Language Jane." Maura said, sleepily.

"Aww come on Maur, that's hardly really swearing and come on you need a hot shower and to change into some dry clothes." They both stood up and Jane got Maura a t-shirt, shorts and a towel before gently pushing her into the bathroom. She quickly changed into dry clothes herself and she set about locking up the apartment. She was in bed reading when Maura came out of the bathroom. The t-shirt was one of the several Jane had that had property of BPD on the front. This one was in a light grey colour. Maura climbed into bed and Jane set the book down and turned off the bedside light. In the dark, Jane reached out and pulled Maura back against her in their favourite sleeping position.

"Hey Princess?" Jane said quietly.

"Yes Janey?"

"Don't let your parents tell you otherwise, because you're perfect ok?"

"Jane nobody can be called perfect ..." Maura started to protest.

"You are to me." Jane cut her off. Maura smiled in spite of her knowing the inaccuracy of the statement.

"Night Janey."

"Night Princess."

The next day saw Jane trying to make the Christmas as perfect as possible. Anything Maura asked her to do, she did right away. Whilst it wasn't unusual for the Detective to do everything the M.E. asked, she did everything with a smile rather than her usual grumble. It didn't take long for Mrs Rizzoli to realise this and she started suggesting that "Jane would be the best person to do the drinks" and such which meant Jane spent the day doing everything her Ma wanted as well. She didn't care though as she saw Maura's smile at working through the recipes with her family. That smile was worth doing any number of jobs to her. She, Nonna, Aunt Julia and her Ma made a wonderful dinner and Maura blushed as Jane told her she was a natural.


	21. Chapter 21 - Dates and Danger

_The greatest danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark - Michelangelo_

Chapter Twenty One - Dates and Danger

After Christmas, the two settled back into their jobs and they had a relatively quiet couple of months. The biggest excitement was Maura's birthday in May. Jane had wanted to throw Maura a big party but Maura begged her not to and when Maura begged her she was helpless to do anything but what she asked her to do. Instead Mrs Rizzoli cooked a family dinner. Jane saved her gift until she took Maura home that night.

"I didn't know what to get you but I know that you miss me playing the piano ..." Maura went to interrupt Jane but she shook off her objections and sat down at the piano Maura had. She played one of Maura's favourite songs and despite the cramping in her hand, she played it perfectly. Maura sat down next to Jane and lay her head on her shoulder, watching her friends hands dance across the keys. At the end of the song, Jane flexed her hands to try and get some of the tension out of her hands.

"Do they hurt?" Maura asked, taking one of Jane's hands into her own and massaged the muscles.

Jane followed Maura's fingers as she did this. "Sometimes." She admitted.

"You don't have ..." Maura started.

"I wanted to Maur, that's my gift to you, anytime you want me to play, I will." Maura's eyes filled with tears. "Uh oh I activated that pesky connection between your amydala and lacrimal gland, didn't I?"

They both laughed. Maura loved that this is what Jane was giving her. She knew she would never ask Jane to play, she'd listen if she decided to play but how could she ask her friend to be in pain just so she could hear her play?

It was June and the BPD was having a game for their inter-department softball competition. Jane had managed to talk Maura out of just wearing the 'skin' she'd had specially made in BPD homicide colours and convinced her that she had to wear a t-shirt to be eligible to play because of the uniform 'rules'. Thankfully Maura _always_ played by the rules. Jane knew what a great player Maura was so she was their secret weapon. After she was out, she called Maura over, ignoring Korsak's outraged look and then smirked at Joey Grant as his jaw dropped at her home run. Of course then a body was literally dropped in front of them and then Maura was flirting with a random guy.

"Oh my God, you're flirting over a dead body." Jane said. It wasn't really the flirting or even the dead body, it was the guy who she was flirting with.

"When else am I going to do it?" Maura asked innocently. Jane rolled her eyes. She watched as Maura set up a date with the guy and then they all got back to work.

Frankie came over to them looking all pleased with himself about finding the hubcap for the 'killer's' car and after she had sent him off to do more canvassing, she turned to Maura who, of course, had an opinion.

"He looks up to you." Maura told her.

"You're an only child, get yourself a brother and then we'll talk." Jane said and then she slapped her palm against her forehead. Maura had always wanted siblings. "I'm sorry Maur." Maura shrugged and looked at Vince who shrugged as well. Jane sighed and looked to another Detective. "Hey can I borrow your radio?" As she took the radio she knew she had to explain herself some more to Maura. "I mean yes! I would like to help him make homicide Detective but he's just ... he's not ready."

"You are deceptively complex, it took me a while to understand you." Maura smiled.

"Well it wouldn't have taken so long if I was a dead body." She smirked.

Maura hesitated, dropping her head to one side. "Do you think so?" She smirked back.

They all headed back to the precinct and when they got there she found out that Joey Grant had been promoted to lieutenant, this didn't improve her mood, especially when he decided to closely supervise her case so she headed to the morgue to see if Maura had anything. It was only after Korsak chased Frost out of the morgue that she wished she wasn't there.

"Do you want to know what I'm thinking?" Maura asked. Jane looked at her, she wished Maura was thinking what she was actually thinking right now.

"It's so weird, I do." She smirked.

"I'm thinking I know why you're making such a big deal out of the fact that Grant's your new boss." She grinned and Jane sighed.

"I don't want to know what you're thinking." Jane said, the way Maura's eyes were lighting up meant she had a pretty good idea where this was going.

"You two like each other."

"No!" Jane said, "Do you remember what that ass used to call me? Frog face." Maura laughed, she did remember that. "It's not funny Maura! No!"

Maura composed herself. "It's not funny."

"I'm not a frog face."

"No." She said with a soft smile. "You know I have an hour to finish this before my date with my hot new guy, can you tell your Ma that I'm stuck on this autopsy?" She smiled at Jane. Sometimes Maura had other things that she had to do than come to Rizzoli family dinners. It happened rarely but when it did Jane would make up an excuse for her.

"Oh God!" Jane exclaimed. "It's gnocchi night!" and she raced for the door as she called back over her shoulder. "No problem, I'll call you later ok?" She said and she was gone. She had barely entered the apartment before she was called to another victim. Maura met her there on her way to dinner and when Jane got the call that the first victim had been identified, Maura told her she would have both autopsies completed the next day and released the body to be transferred to the morgue.

Whilst Jane and Korsak were putting together the clues and linking the case to the Boston Strangler case and trying to get Grant on board, he didn't believe her and told her to ignore the links to the old strangler case. Korsak then took Jane to the old evidence files for the Boston Strangler. She smuggled out as much of the evidence as she could in Korsak's jacket.

They then went to see a retired detective called Lahey in an old cop bar, he didn't seem too pleased about the female detective asking questions about his old case, he didn't even take her card when she offered it in case he thought of something pertinent to the current investigation.

The next morning, Maura had completed her autopsies on the two victims and was online shoe shopping when Frost came down. They had a discussion on immersion therapy and Maura told him it had worked for her. This was true. If it wasn't for her friendship with Jane and going to a boarding school, she would probably still be wary of interacting with people. She was trying to help him with his fear when Jane came through the door. It was so funny to see Frost's reaction to Jane's teasing. He handed Maura the scalpel and thanked her before fleeing the room.

"What?" Jane asked at the slightly sulking look on Maura's face. Had she really interrupted something?

"You'd want to know if you had Marfin's syndrome, wouldn't you?" Maura asked

Jane did a little happy dance inside before schooling her face to look a little frustrated. "You did it again?" She asked, exasperated. Maura made a noise as if to say yes and went back to admiring a pair of slingbacks. Jane already knew she did this in the office anyway so it wasn't like she had to hide it like she had done with Frost. Jane grabbed the bat and they spent a few minutes taking a few swings with the bat before Jane mentioned the presents she had brought along.

"Ooh I like presents!" Maura smiled and opened up the jacket with evidence inside, "What do we have here? ... Oh."

"What?" Jane asked.

"Oh darn it." Maura said as she picked up the mini skirt.

"What!?" Jane repeated.

"I thought it was an original Mary Quont." Maura sighed.

"I thought you found something useful." Jane sighed.

"Well mini skirts freed women, they were practical and liberating." Maura said and Jane tried to stop imaging her friend in several of the mini skirts she knew Maura owned. She got frustrated when she realised that none of the 'borrowed' evidence was of any use.

Back in the bullpen, Jane and Frost were trying to figure out the best way to proceed when Joey Grant came in and blamed her for the leak to the press and then told her about the task force that was being set up. Her car being towed was the icing on the cake and she raced downstairs to try and stop it. Thankfully Lahey had stopped the tow guy from taking her car. He had turned up to see her after he had changed his mind about her. It was only when Lahey asked her why she wasn't married and the reason she gave him that she realised that the actual reason she wasn't married was because she couldn't picture being with anyone but Maura. As Lahey walked away, she thought seriously about telling Maura how she felt and then once again decided against it and buried these feelings deep inside herself to be examined at another time.

They got a break with Lahey's file on a guy called Redmond Jones. They went to visit him and got a barrage of abuse from not only Jones but his mother. They then went after a red herring, some guy who just liked death and then a third victim appeared. This time they found blood on the bow and it was matched to Redmond Jones, but before they could go to arrest him, Grant turned up with the 'task force' and he took her arrest. Jane was pissed, it was her case, she found the blood and her Maura matched it. She was sat stewing at her desk, half listening to Frankie and Korsak.

"We got one body dropped in our laps, two stranglings in one day, no forensic evidence and then bam! We find blood. Maura says forensic evidence doesn't lie, it doesn't change it's mind." She thought over this and then decided to check over Lahey's alibi. He would be the only one who would have motive to set up Jones. And his blood would have been on his fist after he had punched Jones at his house the other day. They saw him go in for treatment for his cancer on the cameras and then come out a few minutes later. He was lying.

She went down to the morgue to find Lahey with a gun to Maura. Her heart stopped, Maura shouldn't be the one who was in danger, ever!

"Hey you are a good cop." Lahey smirked, pointing his gun at Jane now, she felt a little better about this.

"For a girl." She said.

"Alright, the gun, put it down, kick it over there." He told her before pointing the gun back at Maura. Her heart was beating in her chest so loudly, she wouldn't have been surprised that they could hear it.

"Don't do it Jane." Maura said.

"Shut the hell up!" Lahey spat, frightening Maura into silence. Jane pulled her gun out and made eye contact with Maura and flicked her eyes towards the tray of instruments, Maura's eyes followed and she got the idea. "Put the gun down." Lahey repeated. "Put it down slow." He told her. As she did Jane caught sight of the baseball bat behind her. "Alright now kick it over there." He said. She did as he asked.

"You planted Redmond Jones' blood didn't you?" Jane asked.

"I still got some." He repeated, showing her the rag he had clearly used to wipe off his blood, just as Maura grabbed the scalpel off the tray and stabbed him in his leg. He dropped the gun and Maura pushed him towards Jane whilst kicking his gun backwards. Jane grabbed the bat and swung it high and hit Lahey hard with it twice.

He collapsed to the floor and Maura gasped. "Home run." To Jane who grinned at Maura.

"It was just a base it." Jane cuffed Lahey as she asked Maura if she was ok.

"Yeah ... yeah." Maura replied. Jane finished handcuffing him and got to her feet. She reached for Maura and crushed her into a tight hug.

"Don't do that to me again Princess ok?" She whispered, her voice tight with emotion. Maura just laughed, relieved and hugged her back, just as tightly.

They made it to the Dirty Robber that night and as they sat in the booth, Jane started a discussion.

"Hey did you ever talk to Marfin Man?" She asked, curiously.

"Hm mmm. He called to thank me." Maura smiled, taking a sip of her wine. Jane's eyebrows shot. This must be the first time one of her dates called her to thank her for being diagnosed with some disease. "He found a specialist, an international expert actually."

"Really? Are you going to see him again?" Jane asked. That didn't sound good, what if he realised how great Maura was.

"I don't date patients."

Jane laughed and almost spit her beer back into the bottle. "You just don't wanna go out with him because he's got some weird ass disease." She smirked.

Maura gasped in self defence at this and said. "His limbs are a little spidery ..."

"Come on." Jane interrupted but Maura forged ahead.

"... But that's not the only reason."

"Come on." Jane repeated and then decided that she had to do the good best friend bit and give Maura some advice as much as it killed her to have Maura date people. "You gotta stop that Princess, you gotta stop diagnosing people."

Maura looked across at Jane, she knew she was right but she really didn't want to get into this discussion since she had no idea why she constantly did it. "Can we just talk about your love life ... I ..." She shrugged and gave a nervous laugh.

"Ok ... well you've seen the guys I date and my theory is that they're split into two kinds, the kind that hate that I'm a cop and the kind that wants me to use the handcuffs ..." She spotted a guy who was standing up to come over to her. "Ok watch this, are you ready? 3 ... 2 ... 1 ..." Jane showed him her badge with a smile and the smile on his face dropped as he quickly walked back to his friend. "Shebow! Se ya!" Jane laughed.

"He's fast." Maura laughed with her and Jane noticed his friend was smiling at her.

"Hi." She waved and then rolled her eyes, threw her badge onto the desk and had another drink of beer. "I like handcuffs." She mocked him, "See?" She asked Maura, who shook her head in amusement. There was a slight lull in the conversation.

"So who do you think the original Boston Strangler was?" Maura asked.

"I don't think we'll ever know." Jane sighed and then caught sight of Joey Grant on his way over to them. "Oh yay!" She said, sarcastically.

"Good job Rizzoli." Grant said.

"Yeah well, while Kenny was trying to kill Dr Isles over here, I was looking for you so you could have that arrest too." She said. She saw Maura frown at her but couldn't bring herself to care that she was acting childishly.

"Yeah, I owe you an apology ... I'm sorry."" He grimaced as he turned away.

"Yeah I can tell by the nasty face you're making." Jane frowned.

Maura looked between the two of them and decided to step in before there was a miscommunication between the two of them. "Oh that's not because of you Jane, he has bullous lesions." She explained.

"I have what?" he asked, confused. Jane smirked internally as she looked over Grant like he had some horrible infectious disease, just to make him uncomfortable. She loved it when Maura went all google mouth, especially when she was confusing someone like Grant. It was amazing to watch.

"Blisters." Maura clarified and Jane snorted.

"How did you know that?" He asked, Jane rolled her eyes, Maura knew everything that's how.

"You were limping." Maura explained simply. Jane had been telling her for years that it makes her more approachable to people if she explained her google speak. In actual fact, Jane had told her that as she knew Maura had to speak the facts all the time that maybe she could at least explain her thinking for those whose minds did not travel at warp speed.

"Right I was limping, can I sit down?" he asked. Jane and Maura both replied at the same time and then looked at each other, Jane in exasperation and Maura in apology.

"No!"

"Yes!" They said.

Joey Grant sat next to Maura and started rubbing near the top of his foot. "I didn't have to wear big boys shoes in the drugs unit." He sighed and went to take his shoe off.

Jane looked over and quickly said. "You're not gonna take those off in here?" She snapped.

"No?" He asked, "I'm not." He put his foot back down.

After an awkward pause Maura spoke. "I can take a look at your bullous lesions if you ..."

"Maura!" She exclaimed. She didn't want Maura getting any closer than necessary to Grant, she especially didn't want her to touch him. "Come on!"

"I'm just saying." Maura replied.

"Thank you." Grant said to Maura, actually quite politely. There was a shorter pause. "Anyway I just wanted to say I'm sorry we got off to such a bad start on our first case. And I wasn't cheating off you in our cateism test." He defended once again.

"I saw you look at it." Jane argued.

"You saw me looking but it wasn't looking at your paper." He said, looking at her softly. As this sank in, she groaned internally, the last thing she needed right now was Joey Grant with a huge crush on her. "See you soon." He said and left. After he was gone, she looked at Maura who was smirking at her with her best I told you so smirk.

"Oh shut up!" She said and they both laughed. Jane looked over at Maura as she looked around the bar. What if she hadn't gone to see Maura that afternoon? What if she had been shot and she had died? Jane shuddered. She couldn't imagine losing her best friend. Her life wouldn't be the same without her. Maura looked up and noticed the serious look Jane was giving her. She reached over the table and put her hand over Jane's that was resting there.

"What's going on Janey?" Maura asked concerned. Jane shook her head and glanced around the bar where there were several detectives and other officers around.

"Not here Maur. Do you wanna head out?" Maura's face dropped and Jane quickly said, "So we can have a movie night." Maura's smiled retuned in an instant. "Ok but can we have the movie night at my house? I have a nice wine I've been dying to try." She said as she grabbed her bag and they both headed for the door, Jane holding it open for her.

"Yeah no problem but I need to get Jo from my apartment first."

They made the journey in a comfortable silence and Maura waited in the car whilst Jane ran into her apartment. She returned a few minutes later with an overnight bag and squirming Jo. When they arrived at Maura's house they both got changed and settled down to watch a movie, Maura with her wine and Jane with a beer. Maura glanced at Jane.

"Will you tell me what was wrong now?" she asked as she looked at her friend. Jane sighed, she wasn't sure she could explain this without revealing how she truly felt but she knew Maura wouldn't let it go until she knew so she looked at Maura and smiled crookedly.

"I just realised how close you came to being hurt and it was because of someone we trusted. What would have happened if I hadn't come to see you then? I don't know what I'd do if you ... " Jane cringed at the thought of Maura being hurt or worse. Maura lay her head on Jane's shoulder and took Jane's hand in hers.

"I'm not hurt Jane." She said softly.

"Not this time!" Jane exclaimed, "But what happens next time?"

"Janey, please calm down," Maura said, lifting her head and turning her body to face Jane, "You know I can take care of myself, you made me take those kick boxing classes remember?" She asked smiling.

"I believe you wanted to go to those classes." Jane replied.

"I did so just remember that ok? You don't always have to be there to save me from everything as much as I do appreciate that you are." She told her.

"Just promise me that you'll try and stay away from mad people?" Jane begged.

"As long as you promise the same."

They both laughed at their behaviour and Jane stood up, tugging Maura with her. "How about we both promise?" she replied and at Maura's nod she pulled Maura by her hand. "Come on, let's head to bed. I'm beat." Maura agreed and followed Jane as they walked into her room. They changed quickly and Maura edged closer to Jane until she wrapped her arms around her.

"I'm so sleepy." Jane murmured against Maura's hair.

"Me too." Maura sighed. Neither woman said anything else as they slipped into their dreams.


	22. Chapter 22 - Always There

_Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words - Plautus_

Chapter Twenty Two - Always There

The next couple of months passed fairly normally. The only exception being the 'voodoo' case, as Jane like to call it, that had Jane calling Maura in the middle of the night after a nightmare, asking if she'd come over. Jane was often plagued by nightmares but she didn't often give in to the fear enough to tell someone else. When she did, that someone was always Maura. The case passed quickly enough and then all Jane had to worry about was Maura's 29th birthday. She had hoped that her parents would turn up this year and had her Ma organise a quiet dinner at Maura's house with family and friends but a few days before her birthday Maura mentioned that her parents were in California at a wine tasting. She didn't voice her disapproval at Maura's parents, she knew that Maura already understood that she wouldn't give them the time of day, especially after upsetting her again the Christmas before.

When it got to the day before Maura's birthday, Jane turned up on Maura's doorstep with a bag in her hand and a squirming Jo.

"Janey!" Maura said surprised, "What are you doing here?" She asked as she stepped aside to allow her in.

"Oh come on Princess, since when do I let you spend your birthday alone?" Jane asked, letting Jo scamper away to the dog bed that Maura had got for her.

"My birthday isn't until tomorrow." Maura reminded her.

"Your birthday starts at midnight, so I'm going to be here first thing to make you breakfast. I've made sure you've got the day off tomorrow, so you're going to have a nice relaxing day ... well except for when my mother turns up." Jane pulled a bottle of wine out of her bag and handed it to Maura. "Here you pour this, I have that documentary you wanted to watch last month and we'll order from that Indian place you're so fond of."

"But you don't like Indian cuisine." Maura frowned as Jane slipped her boots off.

"Not true," Jane replied, "I just prefer pizza." She walked into the living room and ordered their meals as Maura poured herself a glass of wine and got a beer for Jane and went to sit next to her on the sofa. She handed Jane her beer and lifted her legs to rest across Jane's.

"Did you really book me a vacation day at work?" Maura asked.

"Yes, I think you deserve a day off Maur. When was the last vacation you actually took where you didn't go to a conference or to a guest lecture?"

Maura took a sip of wine because she knew Jane was right, she hadn't had time off for a long time. Jane smirked as she realised that Maura knew what she had said was true.

They spent the evening watching the documentary and eating the Indian food Maura loved so much. After the documentary, they channel surfed for a while and when it hit midnight Jane reached into the bag she brought with her and pulled out Maura's present. She handed it to Maura with a smile.

"Happy birthday Princess. Here's present number one, sorry it took so long." Maura frowned at Jane in confusion and opened the present. Out fell a new Red Sox jersey with 'Honorary Rizzoli' on the back. It was a bigger size than the one she had. "I washed it already and yes with your fancy schmancy washing stuff." Jane told her and had to quickly catch her friend as she threw herself into her arms.

"Thanks Janey." She whispered into Jane's ear.

Jane managed to suppress the shiver and whispered back, "You're welcome."

After a few minutes, Maura jumped up and ran towards her stairs calling, "I'm going to change!" over her shoulder. Jane chuckled and started packing away the leftovers and walked up the stairs to join Maura. As Jane opened the bedroom door, Maura also entered the bedroom but from the bathroom. She grinned at Jane and spread her arms wide. "What do you think?" she asked.

Jane smiled softly. Maura looked adorable. As much as Maura suited her fancy clothes, heels and posh restaurants, she also looked completely at ease in her baggy Red Sox jersey and the shorts she could just see at the bottom of her jersey.

"Thanks Jane," Maura said as she slipped into bed and watched the detective slip out of her jeans and into a pair of shorts that she retrieved from her drawer that Maura kept her clothes in that had wound up in her home. Jane also pulled her shirt of leaving her in a vest top and shorts. She then went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. A few minutes later she joined Maura in bed and reached to pull her closer. "Happy Birthday Princess." she whispered into her ear.

"Night Janey." Maura replied and closed her eyes falling into an easy sleep.

The next morning, she woke up to Jane's gentle deep breathing and warm embrace. She yawned and lay quietly as her friend slept. She loved these moments with Jane when she was still asleep. Her friend was so complex and when she was asleep she could tell exactly how Jane felt about her and in a word it was 'protective'. Whenever she moved to pull away, Jane would briefly tighten her grip and pull her back. She turned in Jane's arms and studied her face as she continued sleeping. She was relaxed and all the concern and stress that she usually saw there was gone. When Jane was awake she could see the stress on her face, it wasn't obvious to everyone else but she could read the muscles of Jane's face like they were an open book her. She noticed that Jane was careful with her emotions at work and how she acted but it was when they were alone she could see the girl she had known when they were met. Recently she knew that Jane was withholding something from her, she knew it was something big but she knew that whatever it was that Jane would tell her when she was ready, she always did. She lifted her hand to trace her fingers along her jaw and smiled as she leaned her face into her touch.

"Morning." Jane said, her eyes still closed, smiling at the feeling of Maura's hand on her face.

"How long have you been awake?" Maura asked,

"Since you turned around," Jane cracked an eye open to look at Maura, "What was so fascinating anyway?"

"You look so different when you're asleep." Maura answered.

"So do you," Jane said, "You look so innocent and calm and we both know you're far from innocent." Jane smirked.

"You look peaceful. I like seeing you like that."

"It's the company." Jane replied, she then sat up. "Right! Breakfast!" Jane grinned and stood up. "Do you want to grab a shower while I cook breakfast?" she asked.

"No I'll come and help." she said, getting up herself. She looked at Jane who rolled her eyes at her friend.

"It's your birthday Maur, you're supposed to relax and enjoy yourself."

"Exactly and I really enjoy cooking with you." Maura said, eyes wide with sincerity.

"Come on then." Jane grinned, trying not to show her happiness at these words. They had barely made it downstairs before there was a knock at the door. They looked at each other in resignation. They both knew who would be on the other side of the door. Jane trudged over to answer it.

"Hey Ma." Jane sighed as she stood aside to allow her mother entry.

"Morning Jane." Mrs Rizzoli smiled at her daughter. They walked into the kitchen where Maura was setting up the coffee machine. "Happy birthday Maura dear." Mrs Rizzoli greeted her and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Hello Angela," she said as she pulled away, "And thank you."

"Ma, what are you doing here? You can't need to start making dinner now." Jane said as she moved Maura to sit down at the breakfast bar and pulled two cups out of the cupboard, ready for the coffee.

"I'm here to make Maura her birthday breakfast of course." Mrs Rizzoli advised.

Jane and Maura looked at each other and Jane raised her eyebrow as if to say 'you wanted to be a part of the family and this is a part of it'. Maura sighed as if to say 'yes I know'.

"I see you got the new baseball jersey Maura." Mrs Rizzoli smiled at the 'Honorary Rizzoli' on the back. Maura smiled and squeezed Jane's hand.

"Yes, Jane gave it to me for my birthday."

"That's nice dear, what else did she get you?"

"Ma!" Jane exclaimed, in protest.

"What? Can't a mother ask what her daughter got her best friend for her birthday?"

"No since I haven't given her the main gift yet!" Jane growled. Maura looked at her happily, "You mean there's another gift?" She asked, excitedly.

"Yes and no, I can't give it you now." Jane replied, glaring at her mother who was currently making them both pancakes. When Mrs Rizzoli finally left, promising to be back in a few hours to start dinner, Maura turned to face Jane with a wide smile. "Ok, ok," Jane laughed, "I'll go get your present but you can't tell anyone about this ok?" Jane said seriously.

Maura nodded and Jane ran upstairs to the bag she had brought with her the day before. She pulled out a small box and handed it to Maura, still not sure that this was the best idea she's ever had. Maura happily pulled open the box and smiled at what was there. Inside was a perfectly folded origami giraffe made with orange paper and an envelope with her name on it. She pulled the envelope from the box and started to open it.

"I'm gonna ... just get the kitchen ready for Ma." Jane said quickly, jumping up from the sofa, leaving Maura to read her new letter.

_Princess,_

_ I was trying to figure out what to get you for your birthday and everything I thought of was just not right or stupid. So I tried to think of the stuff I know you've kept over the years and I know that you still have all the letters and origami figures I ever gave you._

_I then realised that I've never told you exactly how much you mean to me._

_When we met that summer, Ma took us there because I was so angry all the time, you know why now but then I met you. We spent all out time together and you were so kind to me (and a touch naive about things which just endeared you to me more) so I just couldn't be angry around you, even at that first picnic when you corrected me for the first time (yes, I do remember that ;))_

_Over the years you encouraged me to do better without lecturing me on what I __should__ be doing. It meant the world to me that you would just listen like that and give me honest advice and help where I needed it._

_Then you moved to Boston for college. Those were some of the best years of my life and they only got better as I joined the police and you were there to support me the whole way._

_I was so proud of you when all your hard work paid off and you became Dr. Maura Isles._

_I really missed you when you moved away but we never lost touch and we've been there for each other all along. From our parents to job stress and boyfriends. Even things like crazed serial killers._

_So Princess, happy birthday! Thanks for sharing the last twenty years with me and here's to twenty more._

_I love you._

_Janey._

Maura's eyes had filled with tears as she read the letter. Every time she thought she knew Jane, knew exactly what she was going to do, she always surprised her. She folded her letter, put it back in the envelope and then in the box with the giraffe and looked around to find Jane. She was stood in the kitchen with her back to her, clearly Jane had been apprehensive over her reaction to the letter. She sighed at how sensitive her friend was, she only let Maura see this side of her and she was glad she gave her the opportunity to do so. She walked up behind Jane and wrapped her arms around her. Jane tensed at Maura's approach but easily relaxed at her friends arms wrapping themselves around her.

"I loved it, it was perfect," Maura told her happily, "I'm so glad to have you as well."

Jane held up two tickets for the opera as she spun in Maura's arms so she could hug her friend as well.

"I also got you tickets to that opera you've been hinting about." Jane smiled as Maura's jaw dropped.

"You told me you'd rather do Korsak's laundry than go to see ..." Maura started.

"I know but a few hours just to make you happy seems like a fair trade to me." Jane shrugged and handed her the tickets.

"No you keep them since we'll be going together." Jane nodded and put them back into her pocket. "So I'm just going to tell everyone about the tickets then?" Maura grinned at Jane.

The rest of Maura's birthday passed in the usual fashion of Mrs Rizzoli cooking and everyone drinking far too much booze which suited Jane and Maura very well.


	23. Chapter 23 - Blast From the Past

A.N. I know a lot of you want the Rizzles to happen right now but please bear with me, we're about half way through this story at this point

_It is not love that is blind, but jealousy - Lawrence Durrell_

Chapter Twenty Three - Blast From The Past

After Jane and Maura's mini break for Maura's birthday, they got busy at work. For a few months there were several cases open on every detective's desk and Maura was in high demand. One case that touched Jane personally was about some college kids who paid for the expensive BCU college tuition in the wrong way and it cost one girl her life. Jane went out of her way to make sure the girl who survived got a full scholarship and a chance at a good start at life. She remembered receiving her acceptance that she later turned down in favour of community college. She knew her dad would have worked hard to send her and that Maura would have offered to pay as well. She couldn't have accepted that from either of them.

The summer ran by quickly and as the heat rose so did the body count. Jane groaned in frustration every time her phone rang interrupting whatever movie night, family dinner or just general hanging out that she and Maura were doing at the time. As the summer turned cooler and September arrived, Jane mused it was probably for the best that her time with Maura had been constantly interrupted. Maura had taken to walking around her house in vest tops and shorts to try and cool herself down. There had been nothing specifically sexy about the clothing, it had more been the amount of skin on show that caused several very vivid dreams for Jane.

One night in particular had been very trying for Jane. She had turned up at Maura's house for movie night to find Maura asleep on the sofa. She was wearing shorts that barely covered her and a flowing camisole. Jane's heart was beating wildly and she quickly turned so she could leave but accidentally walked into the side table, knocking what she was sure to be an expensive vase to the floor. It smashed loudly and Jane froze. Maura sat up, still half asleep. "Janey, is that you?" she asked.

"Yeah ... um ... sorry Princess ... I kinda ..." she muttered, gesturing vaguely at that was left of the vase on the floor.

"It's ok, I'll just get the ..." Maura stood up and instantly dropped back onto the sofa with a hiss of pain.

Jane was at her side in an instant. A small piece of glass had cut her foot. It wasn't a big cut but it was bleeding profusely. "Oh Maur, come on let's get that sorted now." Maura went to stand up again but Jane wasn't having any of that and she picked her up bridal style.

"Jane!" Maura exclaimed, "Put me down!"

"I'll be happy to when you're in your bedroom." Jane told her. "I'm not running the risk of you cutting yourself again." Maura huffed but didn't say anything else as Jane walked up the stairs towards her room. Jane gently put Maura on the end of her bed and went into Maura's bathroom to grab Maura's first aid kit. "Here you go Maur, you clean your foot up and I'm gonna go clear up that mess and grab the movie and drinks and we'll watch it up here tonight ... that ok?"

"That sounds good." Maura smiled happily. It was only when Jane had cleared up the mess and was waiting for the popcorn that she had just agreed to spend the evening in Maura's bed with a practically half naked Maura. She sighed and closed her eyes. "Give me strength." she whispered to herself. When she made her way back up the stairs she saw Maura lying on the bed, leaning against the headboard. She smiled as Jane closed the door behind her and put the DVD on before climbing onto the bed next to her friend.

"Aren't you going to change?" Maura frowned, "I'm still very warm so I know you must be feeling hot right now."

Jane jumped up to hide the blush on her cheeks and grabbed the clothes she wore as pyjamas before heading to the bathroom to change. She took a deep breath, splashed some water on her face and berated herself. She squashed down firmly on any thoughts of Maura as anything other than a friend and walked back into the bedroom.

Not long after this was Jane's 31st birthday. They didn't have much time to celebrate this year and Jane was thankful the day passed relatively unmarked. She had decided to hide out at Maura's again when she wasn't working. The case that changed everything happened just days after Jane's birthday. Their jog had been interrupted by a call to the marina and a body that had been found there. The minute Maura recognised the body as Adam Fairfield, Jane's heart dropped. She knew that Maura would want to pay her respects but she didn't like the idea of Maura back in the world of the Fairfield's. She held her tongue however as she gave Frost and Maura a ride to the Fairfield mansion. It was then that Jane first felt really disappointed with her friend. She sided with Garrett, after all that jerk had done to her and she sided with that him essentially trivialising her job or the way she did her job at least. She looked at Maura in shock and without another word she turned and left, leaving Maura behind. On the ride back to the station she fumed quietly. Frost knew she was angry at Maura so he stayed silent.

Maura stayed a little while longer at the Fairfield mansion before heading back home for the day. It was too late to start the autopsy that night so she decided on an early night. She checked her phone one final time before she slipped into bed. Jane hadn't contacted her once since they were at the Fairfield's. She felt like Jane was upset with her but she didn't really understand why. She climbed into bed and fell into an uneasy rest.

It was surprisingly hard for her to conduct Adam Fairfield's autopsy. She had always thought she would be fine doing autopsy's for people she knew or had known, but looking at Adam's face was different to that of an unknown person. She tried to distract herself by turning on the news only to realise how much of a mistake that was as they kept repeating the news on the Adam Fairfield murder. Her mind wandered to seeing Garrett again the day before. Despite their relationship ending the way it did, she still felt a certain fondness for Garrett. With the family he had and the pressure's she understood why he acted the way he did, she just couldn't accept it. She was taking some notes as the doors opened and Jane walked in. She could feel the atmosphere change and tried to ignore the woman behind her but she spoke straight away.

"Why are you doing the autopsy on a Sunday? Cancelled all the Kundalini, pilau, ricu yoga classes?" Jane asked sarcastically.

"Kundalini is sacred energy work, pilau is a savoury rice dish and I'm pretty sure that you made up that last word." Maura replied. She wasn't going to let Jane's sarcasm distress her today. She glanced up at her and she could see the tension in how she held herself. She was sure this wasn't going to end well.

"I'm sorry I'm not as educated as you and your deluxe friend, thanks for the support with them by the way." Jane replied, angrily. She knew this would someday come between them. Jane had always been so careful to not let her attitude about entitled rich people interfere with their friendship and there had only been a few occasions where the crack's had appeared but they had always managed to smooth them over. Maura had a good idea that the reason it was turning into such a big thing this time was because of Garrett. She sighed before replying, a little indignantly.

"Their brother just died, I'm sorry I couldn't stand there and let you badger his family."

"Badger? Is that how you describe how I do my job?" Jane asked, Maura inwardly cringed at the hurt in Jane's voice. "And since when do you rush the science?" Jane continued. This seemed a little below the belt to both women. Jane knew there was a little truth to what she was saying, after all Maura was doing the autopsy on a Sunday, but Maura never rushed the science and they both knew it.

"I'm not rushing anything." She defended.

"You're scrambling to finish the autopsy." Jane argued and Maura paused. Normally she would have waited until tomorrow but this was someone she had known and after that phone call last night ...

"The governor called, he would like the reports right away." Maura said.

"Yeah of course he did, did you have a nice chat?" Jane replied sardonically, the image of Maura greeting Garrett yesterday flashing before her eyes. "Maybe tonight you could attend the Opera with some senators and then afterwards go to the veranda and smoke big rolled up wads of hundreds."

Maura felt a little upset about this. Was that really how she felt about her? "These people are not the enemy." She told Jane.

"Yeah neither was Columbus. Tell that to the native American's he killed with small pox." Jane said flippantly. Maura frowned, she was comparing the Fairfield's and other people like herself to the native American's being killed?

"The Fairfield's helped build this city." She told her.

"My Grandfather was an iron worker, he helped build this city." Jane replied. Maura knew this, of course, as Jane had spoken proudly of her Grandfather when they had discussed him in the past and she felt like she was losing grip on this conversation and on why Jane was so upset.

"Ok so ... so what are we arguing about here? History? Or are you just mad at me for who my friends are?" She asked, not that she could honestly class the Fairfield's as her 'friends' more like acquaintances, the same with the governor.

"This is about work." Jane told her, she was clearly trying to keep hold of her temper and was doing a terrible job. "I've just never seen you hugging suspects before."

So this was about Garrett, Maura thought and then wondered at the word suspect. "We don't even know what happened here!" She exclaimed, starting to feel angry herself at this conclusion. "If this was an accidental drowning then there are no suspects." She reasoned, trying to see why Jane was so upset.

"So you're hoping it's an accident?" Jane asked.

Maura paused, 'hoping'? Was she? Did she really want to think Adam had died as a result of a murder? She knew she didn't but was that what Jane was hoping? "Are you hoping it was a murder?" She shot the question back at Jane.

"I'm doing my job like I always do," Jane seemed to bristle at Maura's words. "Why don't you do yours?"

Maura felt the words sting like a physical blow. Jane knew that she was professional to a fault and that this would be hard for anyone. She wasn't rushing the autopsy. Yes she had started it sooner than she normally would have as she tried not to work on Sundays (it was usually the Rizzoli dinner day) but it wasn't unheard of and Jane knew that! Maura fixed her friend a hard stare before she replied.

"I am and as the medical examiner, it is my job to determine the cause and the manner of death so I'll tell you whether there's a case here or not." Maura knew that by telling Jane she would be telling her what jobs to do would be a low blow but she couldn't help saying them.

"Maybe I'll just figure it out for myself." Jane replied before turning to leave. Maura sighed to herself and looked back to the body of Adam Fairfield.

Maura spent the day not having any contact with Jane and it played on her mind. By dinner time on the Sunday, she had already unlocked her phone and scrolled down to Jane's name on her contact list before she realised that she couldn't call. She called Korsak down to the lab on the Monday afternoon and he told her of their progress. Apparently the Detective's had been discussing Sumner's potential involvement after he had been overthrown by Adam as head of the family business. Sumner had given his alibi and Korsak told her that Frost was chasing it down before he moved over to Adam's cashmere jumper.

"Cashmere. What'll this set you back?" he asked, "A couple of hundred?"

"Well those are from Garrett's line," She pondered as she walked over to him, "Those sweater's start at about $1000."

"What's it made of?" Korsak said heatedly, "Spun platinum?"

"Erm the downy undercoat of cashmere goats." Maura corrected and picked up the sweater, she frowned at the texture, knowing it should be softer. "Hhmm this texture should be softer, must be from the sea salt exposure."

"Or maybe the goat was getting even ..." he joked. Maura laughed politely at the bad joke as Korsak turned to look at an enlarged picture of a scan of Adam Fairfield's skull. "That depression on the bone ... what is that?" he asked.

"Oh it's hard to tell, maybe the victim fell and hit his head on the side of the boat?" she shrugged. There was another pause.

"Hey Doc, you wanna tell me why I'm here on Jane's case?" he asked.

"Oh well ... I thought that ... I ... um ... I could get the benefit of your sailing experience." She smiled. It wasn't a lie exactly, she had chosen calling for Korsak for this reason. Korsak scoffed at this and told her his sailing experience wasn't vast, in his usual colourful way. Grasping at straws, she tried to engage him in the type of discussion she and Jane usually had, she didn't normally guess but was already missing their conversations, so she asked him for his take.

"My take is that you're the chief medical examiner and this is not your first floater." Korsak replied.

"It is my ... er ... my 43rd yes! My 43rd" Maura told him.

"I've been a cop a long time, I know when people aren't telling me the whole story." Korsak frowned at Maura and then they stared at each other until Maura cracked.

"Jane's mad at me."

"Oh boy!" Korsak exclaimed, he hated getting in the middle of female drama, especially Jane and Maura's female drama.

"She thinks I'm biased because I'm acquainted with the family."

"Acquainted? I heard it was a little more than that." Korsak prodded.

Maura sighed, "It was." She confessed.

"That's not it thought, when you grow up like Jane, you're going to have an attitude about people who ... err ... were entitled."

"Jane's not like that, she's known me for the majority of her life, she's not prejudiced!" Maura defended.

"Listen Doc, you're Jane's best friend, she's not gonna see you like that but where people like me and Jane come from, we didn't have a lot but we had each other's backs. With this case and your 'acquaintance' with the family it sounds to me like all Jane wants to know is do you have hers or not." He shrugged and left her to her confused thoughts.


	24. Chapter 24 - There Was A Reason

_The purpose of your past relationship is for you to realise that you have a better future without it - Unknown_

Chapter Twenty Four - There Was a Reason

The next day saw Jane talking to Frankie about their mother and her new job and Maura going with Frost and Korsak to the restaurant where Adam Fairfield had oysters as his last meal and found out that he had dinner with a woman. After Jane had been brought up to speed on this, Korsak and Frost both told her to make things up with Maura. Jane had missed her friend a lot. It was tiring to try hate someone when you loved them so much, so she bought Maura some fancy chocolate and headed to the morgue with that and the juice that her mother was selling.

"Hey." She greet before handing Maura the chocolate. "It's got 24 carat gold flakes in it." She grinned.

Maura looked searchingly at Jane. "Are you making fun of me?" Maura asked.

"No," Jane replied, a little defensively, "I thought it would be fun to try." There was a pause as they looked at each other. "Will you run some tests on this please?" She asked, handing her the juice bottle.

Maura looked interestedly at the bottle. "What case?"

"Is Jane's mother poisoning the neighbourhood?" Jane rolled her eyes at the thought.

"Uh oh." Maura winced. This bantering was the thing that she missed the most when she wasn't in daily contact with Jane. "Sure." She agreed.

"So you gonna try the chocolate?" Jane asked. Before either of them could reply, Korsak walked through the door. "What're you so dressed up for?" Jane asked him.

"What? No reason." Korsak replied, before their conversation could turn into bickering Maura spoke. She had been looking at the chocolate in her hand and was wondering why Jane had bought her chocolate.

"Is this an apology?" She asked. Jane turned back to Maura and looked at her.

"For what?" she asked, almost daring Maura to continue with her thoughts.

"Oh boy ..." Korsak sighed, his eyes widening and he turned to leave.

"Uh uh nu uh uh! ..." Jane gestured at Korsak to stop and he returned to his spot between the two women. Jane looked from Korsak to Maura and back, "You ask her?"

Korsak sighed and Maura looked puzzled. "Jane thought that maybe Garrett would tell you the name of the woman his brother had lunch with before he died." Korsak rushed out, smirking at Jane.

Maura's heart sank. "So this is a bribe?" She asked. Jane had never felt the need to bribe her for anything before, she only needed to ask and she knew that, even if they were having a disagreement. Her face hardened. "Tell Jane that if she thinks that chocolate will induce me to use my personal relationship with Garrett Fairfield, she doesn't know me very well."

"Tell Maura that I didn't realise I needed to bribe her with the Hope diamond to get ..." Jane started but Korsak plucked his phone from his belt.

"My phone! I gotta take this." He said and turned to head out of the morgue.

"Korsak!" Jane called after him but he shrugged and left the women alone. Jane turned to face Maura and pursed her lips, "You looked really at home in that world." Jane sighed. She had realised, throughout this case that she had never really taken the time to get to know Maura's world. Maura had taken the time to introduce things to Jane but even when they had lived together she had never taken Jane to the events and balls that she had been expected to attend. She had never thought much about them and never seen her in that kind of world. It scared her how Maura had changed in that moment in the Fairfield's house.

"It's where I'm from, how could I stay there after I met you? It's not where I chose to stay."

"Well what are you doing down here slumming with us?" Jane asked, hotly.

"The same as you!" Maura told her. After all the discussions they'd had over the years, why was Jane asking this now, "I'm catching bad guys."

"I need the job ... you don't" Jane snapped.

"You love this job." Maura replied, "So do I." There was another pause. "You know why I'm here Jane, I want my life to have meaning and purpose, the same as you." She looked Jane in the eyes, worried she didn't believe her.

"Sounds good Maura ... I don't know what to believe anymore, I'm not even sure whose side you're on."

With that final slicing comment, Jane left the morgue, leaving Maura to her very confused thoughts. That evening Maura was sat having a glass of wine when her phone rang. It was her mother. "Hello Mother." She answered.

"Hello Maura," her mother replied, "I've just heard about Adam Fairfield. How is the family doing?" She asked.

"Unfortunately it's unclear whether Adam was murdered so the Detective's are looking for potential suspects."

"Is Jane working the case?" her mother asked. Constance had changed her opinions about a lot of things since the Christmas before. She saw the relationships that some of her friends had with their daughters and hated herself for being so cold to Maura as she had grown up. She wished she could change this or even how she was with Maura but hadn't known where to start so she tried making a more regular phone call with Maura. Every few weeks she called and spoke to her. Usually the calls were about the new fashion lines or her new art collection. Only during the occasional unguarded moments did Maura discuss, in detail, the three most important things in her life: Jane, her job and the Rizzoli's. In that order.

When Constance thought back on how she had reacted to Jane's presence in Maura's life, she was filled with shame. She had been homophobic, there was no other word for it and thinking about how much Jane had done for her daughter, she had been forced to realise that her husband had been right. Maura was happy and everyone had the right to live their own lives. Just because she personally wasn't attracted to other women didn't make it 'wrong'. She had then completely changed her view and was happily awaiting their change from friends to realising they were in love. Whether Maura realised it or not, some of the presents and things Jane did for her shows a dedication she was ecstatic to see and some of the ways Maura described Jane and the things she did was wonderful to listen to. The only thing that troubled her was that they were yet to recognise the true depth of their feelings. She couldn't be absolutely 100% sure, of course, that their feelings were more than platonic (they were quite adamant that they were simply friends) but she was willing to wager a large amount of her family fortune. They really would make a striking couple, she thought to herself as she refocused her attention on Maura as she replied.

"Yes mother but we're not seeing eye to eye at the minute."

"Oh?" She asked, a little surprised at this. They never seemed to fight. "Why is that dear?" She continued, the endearment rolling off her lips. Maura hesitated and then the whole story came tumbling out. When she had finished telling her of the incident in the morgue earlier that day, Maura took in a deep breath and a larger unladylike gulp of wine. Constance smiled to herself. This _was_ a lover's spat but they seemed to still be oblivious to that fact. She weighed her options carefully before she spoke, knowing that if she said the wrong thing she could do more harm than good ... and she was through causing harm to her daughter.

"Have you given any thought to why Jane may think you don't 'have her back' as Detective Korsak put it?" she asked.

"I honestly don't know," Maura said, "I've been Jane's best friend for so long I didn't think she'd ever doubt I would always be there for her." Maura frowned.

"Maybe she thinks there is someone who could potentially get in the way?"

There was a long pause as Maura considered this. The only person her mother could possibly be talking about is Garrett but she already told Jane that she was her priority after Garrett had made her chose.

"But she knows she's my best friend." Maura countered, clearly thinking her mother had missed something about the situation.

"Maura, you're a very intelligent woman but sometimes I worry about your lack of social skills and not, before you ask, because of our family's obligations but because I'm worried you'll miss out on your chance at happiness."

There was another pause.

"I don't understand."

"I know sweetheart." Constance sighed and tried again. "Does Jane make anyone else these origami figures you treasure so much or one of those wonderful hand crafted boxes she made you? Or how about travelling hours out of her way with injured hands to take a picture of the place you met or the opera tickets she got you _and_ went to see it with you just because you wanted her to go." Constance listed. "Do you think there's anyone else she would take so much time over? Anyone she loves more?" She asked pointedly.

To say Maura was shocked at how blind she had been was an understatement. There was a time, when she was a teenager, and she was constantly being asked if there was more than friendship between Jane and herself when she had briefly thought about the possibility. Jane was, and had always been, stunning. Thinking about her in a sexual way wasn't difficult for her or weird. She had never seen the problem with finding both men _and _women attractive although her preference had always been with men. She had concluded that it wouldn't matter anyway as they were best friends and nothing more. She didn't like statements that began with 'what if' but she knew that if her mother was right then she would have to think about how to approach Jane about it. Jane was always there for her, she made her feel special and loved.

Did she love Jane?

She thought about how she felt around Jane and how they acted around each other. She knew the answer was yes. She loved Jane more than she loved anyone but did Jane feel the same? She wasn't sure. Jane had always adamantly stated that she was attracted to men. She knew of only one way to be sure. She'd have to conduct some 'experiments'. Smiling to herself she turned her attention back to her mother.

"I think you're right mother." She paused again. Her relationship had improved a great deal with her mother recently but was her relationship that strong yet? "Are you ok with ..." Maura started to asked.

"I made a great deal of mistakes in my life. One of them was how I acted with Jane. If she makes you happy then that's all I care about."

They talked for a while longer with Constance mentioning she was thinking of dropping by Boston more often to spend some more time with Maura who called her real estate agent the next day, asking her to start the search for another house that had more room, possibly a guest house.

After she had made the arrangements she made her way to the Fairfield mansion to talk to Garrett. He told her about Adam's mistress as they were driving around Boston in his car and then he pulled up for some coffee. She quickly pulled out her phone and rang Jane, hoping that she would answer her call.

"Rizzoli." She answered.

"Jane." Maura sighed in relief, using her first name rather than her title. The sound of her voice sent tingles down her spine.

"Maura, I'm sorry." Jane apologised, the last few days without her friend had been torture for her.

"No." Maura shook her head, it shouldn't be Jane who was apologising. "It's ok, listen, I don't have a lot of time. Adam had a mistress, Vanessa Du Wald." Maura told her.

"Why ... why are you doing this?" Jane asked, she didn't know why Maura was helping her after how she had acted. Maura had no idea about her feelings. It wasn't her fault.

There was a pause on the line before Maura replied, "Because I have your back ... I gotta go."

Maura quickly hung up as Garrett walked back to the car and took her coffee. He went to kiss her but she turned her head so he kissed her cheek instead.

Later that day they spoke to Adam's mistress who told them Adam was divorcing his wife and then the harbour patrol found Adam's boat. Jane was ready to concede it was accidental until Maura told Jane it was murder. They compared the impression on his skull to cast's of items on the boat but nothing matched, unable to figure this murder out, Jane decided to take Maura to the Dirty Robber.

"You want to get a drink?" She asked.

"Would it have gold flecks in it?" Maura asked with a smirk.

"No." Jane replied, blushing slightly as she turns from Maura's gaze. Maura watched as Jane left and then smiled at the paperwork in front of her. It felt good to laugh with Jane again.

A little while later they were sat having their drinks. Maura was on her second glass of wine and finally decided enough was enough. She pushed the glass away as she said, "The cabernet here is chalky."

Jane smiled at her, Maura had always had impeccable taste for everything, "Have a beer?" she suggested, "It's cold."

"You know I don't drink beer." She reminded.

"Right." Jane chuckled. "Well we know for a fact that it's a murder, then we have two solid suspects with motive, wife because she didn't want a divorce and Sumner because he's pissed at Adam for pushing him out." Jane summarised.

"And Colbern who won't let you near them." Maura reminded her of the Fairfield's lawyer.

"Please don't talk to me about that guy." Jane sighed.

"Ok." Maura agreed. There was a pause as Jane looked at Maura. She didn't particularly want to ask the next question.

"You wanna tell me what happened with Garrett the other day?" Jane asked, curious as to how Maura had talked Garrett into telling her about the mistress but at the same time not wanting to know.

"Nothing happened, I went to talk to him, I may have made myself appear available but after what happened between us when we were younger ... Jane you were there, I loved that guy, it made me forget who I was for a while, like I took some sort of substance." Maura smiled sadly.

"You weren't that different to your normal self just a little loopy." Jane smirked and Maura rolled her eyes at her.

"Maybe ... by the way I ran some tests on your mother's miracle juice. It's 98% water, the rest is sodium citrate, monopotasium phosphate ..." She listed.

"Anything harmful?" Jane interrupted.

"No." Maura smiled.

"But there's nothing helpful either." Maura shook her head in reply. "I should tell Frankie." Jane sighed, tiredly.

Maura looked at Jane and smiled. She had really missed just being in her company but she wanted to know if she felt the same. It was time to start her experiment and she knew exactly how.

"I brought you a present." She said as she handed Jane the invitation Garrett had given her earlier.

"Apology or bribe?" Jane grinned. She opened the envelope and read the invitation inside. "Fairfield family invite you and a guest to a memorial ... Maura this is tonight."

"Well I wasn't going to go but you wanted access to my 'deluxe' friends, Sumner and Joselyn, I want you to be my guest."

"Won't I embarrass you?" Jane smirked.

"Probably." Maura laughed, "But then haven't I embarrassed you many time over the years?" She shrugged.

"No ... more than half a dozen times ... a year." Jane replied with a smile, she then looked down and the invitation and frowned at something she read there. "Cocktail dress required?" She groaned, "Can't I just go like this?"

"If you're going to embarrass me, at least do it in the proper clothes." Maura told her firmly. "Come on, I'll take you dress shopping." She said as they edged out of the booth. They went to one of Maura's favourite shops for dresses and she insisted on buying Jane matching shoes and lingerie. After this she decided it wasn't the most brilliant idea she had ever had because as they were walking up towards the Fairfield's door, all she could think about was Jane in _just_ that lingerie. She purposely made sure to walk ahead of Jane, thinking it was unnerving that now she had realised her true feelings for Jane, all she could think about was Jane and her mind had evidently decided to make up for lost time.

Of course, Jane being Jane, she did manage to say something to distract her, "I feel like I'm at my junior prom." She sulked, Maura smirked at the idea of what had happened at Jane's junior prom (namely that her date had spilled coke over her due to nerves and then the class flirt, Giovanni, had tried to feel her up so Jane had hit him) "What?" Jane asked but Maura just shook her head. "Ok, I think I'm getting a wedgie, come here!" She said and pulled Maura close to her to cover her slightly. "Just stand still."

"Can't you do this in the bathroom?" She asked, a little appalled.

"What? No. It'll just take a second." Jane rights herself just as a waiter approached them to offer them champagne. They both take a sip, "Wow!" Jane exclaims before grabbing the last glass from the waiter as he walked past. "Thanks. That is _good!_"

"Le Fev brut." Maura nods, she loves this but it's definitely a special occasion wine.

"Can't get that from a 7/11 can you?" She took another sip before turning to face Maura again with another question. "How much?"

"How much? I don't know." She replied.

"Well guess." Jane prodded, knowing that she wouldn't and was instantly gratified to hear Maura's reply of "No"

"A hundred bucks?" Jane guessed, prodding Maura to answer.

"Maybe ..." Maura answer distracted. She had watched Jane take a sip of the champagne and felt the need to put some distance between them so had started to walk away and felt Jane follow behind her.

"A hundred bucks a bottle ... wow." Jane said, having another sip.

"A glass." Maura corrected automatically.

Jane coughed on her sip of champagne. "Really? Well no wonder it's so good. My mother would be trying to steal it home in her purse." Jane told her unnecessarily as Maura already knew this. There came the sound of an incoming email on Maura's phone do she handed the glass to Jane.

"Can you hold this?" she asked, Jane put her two glasses in one hand and took Maura's in her now free hand. "Thank you." Maura then checked her phone, resisting the urge to smirk as Jane realised this predicament meant she was currently unable to take a sip of her own champagne. "Oh the results came back from the fibres from Adam's sweater ... do you mind if I send this to Frost to check it out?" She asked, glancing up at Jane.

"No, go ahead." Jane encouraged. After a few minutes, Maura had sent the email and taken back her glass as Garrett appeared. This meeting had been what she was afraid of. Now she realised that she wanted Jane, she had absolutely no interest in anyone else, especially the guy who had treated her unfairly in college.

"Wow ... wow, you look beautiful." Garrett said, kissing her cheeks. Maura smiled and returned the greeting as she knew was expected.

"Thank you." She smiled and then turned her attention back to Jane, "You remember my best friend, Jane Rizzoli."

Garrett's face hardened for a split second but both women caught the look. "Of course, you both look absolutely breathtaking."

Jane cringed internally, was it really appropriate to be complimented as looking 'breathtaking' at what was essentially a wake? "Thank you." She replied.

Garrett continued on as if Jane had not spoken. "Usually this would be a celebration, big gala to raise money for Boston charities, tonight it's for Adam, guess it falls on me to commission a painting of him, and the trophy? ... We won it when we were at Eaton, we used to trade it back and forth, I brought it home for him." Garrett simpered.

"It's a lovely gesture." Maura offered, Jane grunted in approval as she took another sip of her champagne. She wasn't stupid. Garrett was trying to worm his way back into Maura's like and she couldn't stand it if that happened.

"Excuse me." Garrett said as his attention was taken by somebody else on the other side of the large room.

"Of course." Maura replied. As soon as he was out of eye sight, Maura grabbed the second champagne glass from Jane who let out a noise of protest at the loss. Maura rolled her eyes. As much as Jane complained about her mother, Jane was far more like her than she cared to admit.

"I'm hungry." Jane complained.

When they sat down for dinner and the fish course arrived, Maura made an appreciative comment and smiled widely at Jane, who did not smile back.

"Urgh, it's looking at me like I personally put the hook in it, how am I supposed to eat that?" She asked in a whisper. Maura picked up the correct utensils and started to demonstrate to Jane in a whisper.

"Use your fish knife, it's next to the melon spoon ... second from the right." Jane finally found the correct item and smiled sheepishly at the couple opposite. Maura made a mental note to subtly teach Jane what these items were, she had to hope that there may be occasions in the future where Jane would accompany her to the charity dinners and such that was expected of her. "Hold it like a pencil ... use the tip to cut the backbone, you cut the tail, place it on the side of the plate, use this edge of the knife to remove the skin and place it on this half of the plate, there we go."

Jane looked at Maura's cleanly sorted fish and glanced at Maura's face. She instantly felt her heart tug at the thought that Maura had most likely spent her childhood, especially before they had met, being taught to sit up and use the right utensils at all times. She smirked and decided it was time to embarrass Maura.

"K, this is how we do it in my family ..." She stabbed the fish and some of the oils in burst back onto her dress. "Urgh!" she said and quickly stifled her complaint and the couple opposite made appalled noises.

"Ok, just eat it ... it's delicious." Maura whispered, trying not to smile at the look on Jane's face.

After dinner Jane continued her complaints. "Why do they have to serve beef wellington after fish and why does everything have to be so juicy?" Jane was complaining but before Maura could reply they both saw Sumer and Jocelyn disappear into another room after kissing.

"Oh that's interesting." Maura said to Jane who smiled grimly back at her.

"That explains why their alibis didn't check out." Jane said.

"Because they were probably with each other." Maura finished Jane's thought.

"Killing Adam Fairfield." They both started walking towards the recently closed door when someone stepped in front of them.

"Oh detective ... a moment?" Goldbern said, Jane sighed loudly at the interruption.

"Right after I talk to your two pals about killing Adam Fairfield." Jane replied. Maura took a second to admire Jane in this moment. She was completely into detective mode and she was such a force of nature when she was like this.

"Please." he repeated. Jane groaned but looked at him expectantly. "Well you've been wondering what I've been covering up, well now you know, they're having an affair."

"No kidding," Jane replied with an eye roll.

"But I know for a fact that they didn't kill Adam Fairfield." He continued.

"Oh? What do you got? We _love_ facts." She told him sardonically.

After retrieving the tape from Goldbern, they both went home for the night and then the next morning they viewed the tape that proved Sumner and Jocelyn's innocence. Maura was struggling with the discovery she had made over the materials Garrett had been using. She told Jane about the cheap cashmere and they knew it was because he had no money.

"You ok?" Jane asked, gently. She didn't like that Garrett was still in her life, she wanted to close this case fast.

"I should have seen it." Maura said, seemingly talking to herself. This confused Jane.

"You did. There was a reason that you didn't commit to him after college and there is a reason you're holding back now ... it's called gut instinct."

Maura knew the actual reason she was holding back was Jane herself but she ignored this and moved her thoughts back to her most recent discovery. "There were clues, I could ... I couldn't put them together." She sighed.

"You did ... you did it subconsciously." Jane soothed. Maura frowned, Jane still thought she was talking about her relationship with Garrett not this new evidence.

"The oysters," she tried to clarify, "That's how I missed it, the oysters, it was right in front of me the whole time!"

"Ok, come on. I'll take it from here ok?" Jane tried to offer, but Maura simply gave her a look.

"I thought Adam had asthma but he was taking a drug to treat pentoglia emphosima which is why he couldn't digest food ... he wasn't a smoker." She continued at Jane's blank look.

"That's great for him."

"The damage was caused by a disorder called Alpha 1 antitripsin deficiency." There was a long pause where Jane waited for Maura to explain but at her expectant look Jane half laughed as she replied, "Ok sweetie, I'm sorry but I don't know why you're telling me this."

"It's inherited ... the illness that Adam had, all of the Fairfield children should have but they don't," Jane started to understand what Maura was saying, "Because Adam had a different father and that's who carried the fatal gene ... Adam was a half brother."

"So that's why he didn't inherit the family business." Jane surmised, nodding her head.

"Because he wasn't part of the blood line, he wasn't a bromin." Maura finished. They looked at each other, knowing they were right.

"Wait, why didn't the father give it to Garrett, he was next in line?" Jane asked.

Maura sighed, she knew why, she and Garrett had discussed it a lot when they had dated because she had then encouraged him with his own dreams. "Because they had a terrible relationship. Garrett always used to say that he wanted to make his own way in the world ... and I'm not sure he had a choice."

"And that didn't work because he was going bankrupt." Jane took a second to savour the fact the Garrett really was a dickhead and a murderer before she turned back to face Maura again.

"Garrett said that brothers don't kill brothers, I think he justified what he did because in his mind Adam wasn't his brother." Maura said, looking close to tears.

Jane took the high road and offered Maura some hope. "It's motive but it's not proof ... maybe Garrett didn't do it."

Maura looked up to see Jane's face. "Jane he did it and I think I know where the proof is. It's how he got from L.A. to Boston."

On their way to the Fairfield's, Jane got her warrant after Maura explained what they needed and Jane smugly handed it to Goldbern who sighed as he led them to what they wanted. They then went to arrest Garrett who stopped swimming as he saw them coming.

"There's only one person I know who could of committed a murder a mile out at sea and got back without a boat." Maura told him, a little sadly. She really didn't want Garrett to be a murderer. Jane took over so she didn't have to say it.

"A tri-athlete."

Garrett turned to Maura to plead his case. "Maura?" he asked.

"You know you said brothers don't kill brothers but you knew that Adam had a different father so in your mind that meant that Adam wasn't really your brother." Maura told him.

"Maura ... come on ... you know me." he tried to plead to her.

"The murder weapon left a unique impression in Adam's skull." Maura offered.

"Like this one." Jane said, pulling the evidence from behind her back. "It's the same pattern isn't it Maura?" Maura nodded and Jane continued with, "We found it in your trunk."

"Run tests Maura, you won't find anything on that." He defended.

"'Cause this one is new, the one that you used to kill your half brother is at the bottom of the ocean." Jane supplied as Goldbern joined them.

"Have security escort the two ladies out." He told Goldbern, refusing to look at them anymore.

"Step out of the pool." Jane interrupted.

"Goldbern ..." Garrett stressed, a little unnerved that he seemed to be ignoring his instructions all of a sudden.

"I think you should step out of the pool, Mr Fairfield." he suggested.

"Goldbern what are you doing? You work for me!" he ordered.

"I work for the Fairfields." He retorted. Jane arrested Garrett and took him to be processed. The car journey to the station was silent as she, Maura and Garrett sat deep in their own thoughts. She tried really hard not to enjoy locking Garrett into his cell and didn't speak to him as she did that.

She made her way down to the morgue to speak to Maura. She found her in her office writing up the official report on Adam Fairfield.

"Are you ok?" Jane asked as she walked over to sit on Maura's desk next to her.

Maura looked up at Jane and smiled as she leant back in her chair. "I'm fine, a little shocked that Garrett was capable of that." She admitted, "Adam was always a force to be reckoned with but I believe he was a decent enough man."

"People can surprise you." Jane nodded. "Both for the better and the worse." They sat in silence for a few minutes, observing each other. "Would you like to go to the Robber for a beer?" Jane asked.

"Janey, you know I don't drink beer." She smiled.

"Well I think you should broaden your horizons." Jane grinned back, "I loved that champagne." She reminded her.

"I don't think that you can reasonably compare beer to ..." Maura stopped at Jane's raised eyebrow. "Maybe you're right. Let's go to the robber."

They bickered all the way to the Robber, each happy that they were back to their usual friendship, each unwilling to think what could have happened if they'd continued being unhappy with each other. Jane told Maura to grab their usual booth and she headed to the bar to get their drinks. A few minutes later, Jane was back.

"Ok, here we go." She smiled and slid into the booth, placing two champagne flutes on the table.

"Yeah, I'm not really in a champagne kind of mood." Maura told her, glancing at the glasses.

Jane simply pushed the glass towards her with a slight smirk. "Good, it's beer." She picked up her glass, "I thought we would celebrate the simple things in life."

"I don't really drink beer." Maura pulled her face a little.

"That's because, for some reason, you've never had my beer." She reasoned.

"Ok," Maura sighed, "Well can we at least drink it your way?" She asked.

"Yes, we can." Jane said, putting her own glass down and looking up for a waitress. "Let's get this right." She signalled for two beers and turned back to face Maura. She smiled at her, taking in her face as she looked right back at her.

"Remember when you asked me why I was slumming?" Maura asked her quietly, really wanting to get this topic out in the open.

Jane sighed, looking ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"I always thought you knew." Maura said, cocking her head to one side and looking intently at Jane.

"I do, I just ... I was upset and said something I really didn't mean and I'm sorry for that." She looked at Maura imploringly.

"It was always about escaping that world Janey." She whispered.

Jane reached over and took Maura's hand in her own and give it a gentle squeeze.

"I know Princess, I always knew."

"Yes well." They were interrupted by their beers arriving. Maura picked hers up. "Ok cheers." She smiled.

Jane withdrew her hand and picked her own beer up. "Cheers." She took a gulp and at the apprehensive look on Maura's face she waved at her to drink.

"Oh that's delicious!" Maura exclaimed, she looked at the bottle wondering why Jane had never tempted her to try this before.

"Right?" Jane asked, smiling. "Wait 'til you try a spuckie!"

Maura looked alarmed at the name of the food but said, "I don't know what that is but it sounds really ..." Maura started.

"It's ok Maur, one step at a time." Jane grinned before taking another drink of beer.

After they had spent an hour or so talking, Maura suggested an impromptu movie night and Jane quickly agreed. An hour or so later they were at Maura's house, lying on the couch. Maura had her legs over Jane's and Jane was absent mindedly rubbing her feet as she sat engrossed in the movie. Maura really didn't care because she was too busy watching Jane. They had come a long way since they had met as kids. She wondered what her life would have been like if she had not met Jane. She shuddered and refocused on her friend. Jane was beautiful. She had always tried to tell her that but Jane always ignored these compliments. She had gorgeous, unruly, wavy, raven hair and beautiful, expressive, chocolate brown eyes that always sparkled when she was happy. She had an athletic, toned body and long legs that were perfect for running. Jane's feet were currently propped up on the coffee table and were crossed at the ankle. Maura usually always told Jane off for this but she didn't tonight as her eyes traced the olive coloured skin from her ankle's and imagined her hands following the same route. She quickly turned her eyes to the television in time to see a man tied to a chair in an elevator, "Ho, ho, ho, now I have a machine gun" the character on the screen said. She couldn't objectify Jane (as much as she'd like to). She had to find out how Jane felt. She thought about just telling Jane how she felt or asking her how she felt or even just kissing her to show her how she felt but couldn't stand the thought that Jane might reject her. The idea of testing how Jane reacted to her was probably her way forward. Maura smiled as Jane turned to look at her. Jane smiled back before returning her attention to the movie.

Tomorrow would be soon enough to start testing her theory.


	25. Chapter 25 - Testing Times

_Keep cool; anger is not an argument - Daniel Webster_

Chapter Twenty Five - Testing Times

A week later and Maura had a lot of varying results. When Maura mentioned potential dates for either herself or Jane, Jane always managed to find something wrong with them, however they weren't exactly the kind of men Maura usually dated so Jane had an easy time finding problems with them.

She also took to wearing skirts that were a little shorter than her usual work skirts and blouses that were slightly tighter to gauge Jane's reactions. The day she wore the dark grey skirt with the slit half way up the side was very entertaining for Maura as she knelt by the body and showed most of the side of her leg. She observed Jane's jaw drop slightly as her gaze wandered before she pulled herself together. She then saw the officer next to her ogling Maura so she had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, told him to have some respect for the lady and exiled him to sign in duty at the police tape before she suggested to Maura that she might want to change into an M.E. jump suit to protect her clothing.

She also began touching Jane as much as she could get away with. Whether it was placing her hand on Jane's arm when they were talking or running her hand through her hair as it was 'a bit out of place' or her personal favourite of pulling her places by her hand. Jane seems to fall easily into this habit and Maura, more often than not, felt Jane's hand in the small of her back as she led Maura through the doors or playful taps to her backside or lingering touches to her hands when she was tearful during their movie nights. However some of the best opportunities for Maura to test her theory came the very next day. She had talked Jane into trying yoga again and they made their way there, Jane grumbling the whole way. She almost rethought her plan when Jane took off her hoody to reveal a short sports top that showed off the detectives toned stomach. She flirted with Brock (the instructor) and noticed that Jorge was staring at Jane. An idea formed in her and she quietly set up a double date with her, Jane, Brock and Jorge. After the class started there was little time to discuss the date but she did have time to watch how adorably clumsy Jane was. Being unable to complete the positions did however make Jane grumpy.

"This hurts." She whispered to Maura.

"Pain is only in the mind." Maura whispered back ignoring Jane's pout. Brock told them to raise their right legs and Jane quickly turned her attention back to her mat as her eyes had lingered for too long on Maura's backside.

"I can't feel my legs." She whispered back to Maura as they were told to move into another position. Jane fell over as she tried, too late, to raise her right leg and Maura's position was corrected by a flirting Brock who then asked them to return to the downward dog position. Jane glared at him and this wasn't lost on Maura, she smirked to herself. "My mind has a cramp." Jane complained to Maura unhappily.

"You know that guy? He keeps smiling at you? Jorge?" Maura asked her, nodding towards Jorge. "He just broke up with his girlfriend."

"Really." Jane asked, interested.

"Double date tomorrow night?" She asked hopefully.

"No!" Jane whisper yelled and was shh'd by several people in the class.

"Sorryy." She cringed. "What does he do?" Jane asked.

"Medicine." Maura whispered. Here were her half truths at work again. Jorge was very proud of being a male nurse but she had no doubt that Jane would have laughed if she told her.

Jane's phone then rang and there were more shh'ing sounds from the room as a whole.

"Oh alright." Jane snapped. "Rizzoli." She answered. Brock crouched in front of her and Jane stared guiltily at him before replying "Ok" to the dispatch officer on the phone. She looked up to see Brock in front of her.

"Mindful awareness is what can subdue the primitive consciousness," he told her and Maura almost laughed, knowing she would be confused. "And bring the physical body in control of the will."

Jane looked blankly at him, she had no idea what he had just said, "I totally agree." She replied, figuring it was the safest course, "I have to go." She hurried as she stood. One, she did really have to go and two, she really did hate yoga.

"Yeah you can't leave before savasna."

"Corpse pose." Maura translated, clearly shocked at the idea of leaving early.

"Maura!" Jane yelled, "Let's go." She insisted, she then turned to Brock. "Thank you." She smiled sweetly.

"Namaste." Maura said as she stopped in front of Brock on her way out.

"Namaste." He replied with a smirk.

Jane rolled her eyes, she really didn't need to see Maura making flirty eyes at another guy who was not good enough for her. "Come on!"

As they made their way to the scene, Maura tried to gauge Jane's reaction to the idea of them both dating the guys from yoga. When she tried to talk to Jane about it, she changed the subject.

When they got to the crime scene, Frost teased Jane that Maura had been able to convince her to go back to yoga before they focused on the victim. As Maura was carefully examining the victim and talking to Jane about it, Jane did her usual routine of guessing the COD and telling Frost what to look for. As Jane commented on how said it was for relationships that the first person that was suspected was the husband or boyfriend, she found the victims iPad and turned it on to find a picture of her with her wife.

Jane questioned the wife with Frost whilst Maura did the autopsy. After she had got all the information she could from the wife, she walked into the morgue and smirked at the sight of Maura taking a lot of time to make sure the sutures were done correctly and neatly. She took a brief second to admire how Maura looked before reverting to her usual sarcasm.

"Oh come on, it's not like she has to worry about the scar!" She said affectionately exasperated.

"Don't rush me." Maura smiled up at her.

"Well multitask then, time of death?" Jane asked.

"The core temperature I took hepatically was 88.4 degrees." She saw the blank look on Jane's face and clarified, "Killed between two and three am."

There was a pause as Jane took this in. She looked at Maura and decided to see how much information she had on Jorge and maybe agree to this double date. She had to do something to take her mind off Maura. He was good looking enough to fit the bill. She had to make it seem like she wasn't interested though, she couldn't let it look like she was ok with being set up.

"Jorge say anything about me?" She asked. Maura looked up, interested. She hadn't thought Maura was actually interested in Jorge.

"Yoga Jorge?"

"No, jaunty lube Jorge."

"Oil change? I don't go there, total rip off." Maura said, knowing she was changing the subject.

"Maura come on, what'd he say about me?" Jane whined.

"He said 'sure' ... When Brock asked about a double date."

"No, I'm not going."

"Oh Jane." She really wanted Jane to go. She had to see what Jane's reaction to her being woo'd by someone was when she could see it first hand. She knew it was cruel _if_ Jane was actually attracted to her but if she wasn't she would know for sure.

"What about DNA substance from the sexual assault?" Jane asked.

"No semen but I did collect some deerskin fibres." Maura advised.

"So we're looking for Bambi?" Jane snorted.

"No. Deerskin apparel."

"Moccasins? A tepee?" Jane prodded.

"Well tepees are generally constructed from buffalo hides." Maura corrected, knowing it would wind Jane up a little.

"Wow, urgh! You are so literal." Jane groaned.

"But deerskin actually has great tactility. Small pores make it soft, tough." Jane looked grumpy at this so she decided to just tell her. "Work gloves."

"So not prints ..." Jane sighed. Maura leant back over the body.

"Oh!"

"What?" Jane asked excitedly, clearly wondering what she had found.

"Jorge thinks you're hot."

"Forget it!" Jane replied.

"Come on Jane, listen to me. Every time he looks at you he contracts his orbiclaris occuli and pars orbitalis."

"Gross."

"It's facial muscles." Maura explained, "Please." She begged, pouting slightly.

Jane already knew she would end up going to this double date but decided to have some fun with her friend. "Only if you tell me what killed her." She fluttered her eyelashes. She knew Maura hates to guess so this would be fun.

Maura frowned and tried to come up with something, she didn't have conclusive COD yet. "There should be more blood associated with her facial lacerations." She ventured.

"I'm going to have so much fun on my couch alone." Jane smirked.

"And it _looks_ like the assault and the rape happened post mortem." She sighed, she hated being rushed. Jane was the only one who could make her guess and she knew that she was just doing this today to tease her.

"What?" Jane asked, this had grabbed her attention and she turned serious again. "She was raped and beaten after she was killed? So what killed her?"

Maura grimaced. She had known that Jane would have wanted to know that and wouldn't have been distracted. "I don't know yet." She almost whined.

"Well I don't know when I'm gonna have time for dinner."

They stared at each other for a few seconds until Maura blurted, "An adrenaline response to panic over stressed her heart which was already compromised by diabetes."

Jane smirked, she had got her answer but then frowned again, "So why rape and beat her once she's already dead?"

Maura picked up a light pen. "Look at this ..." She shined the pen light on the back of the woman's hand. "Merch." She said.

"Mm hm" Jane said, not understanding this.

"Means girl in Welsh." Maura told her.

"Since when do Lawyers have club stamps?"

After leaving Maura in the morgue, she and Frost headed to Merch to speak to the club owner. The only lead they could get was a leaflet for a group who disliked gays. Jane's heart dropped. She had always been angry at the way some people chose to treat each other for the way some people chose to live their lives. As far as she had been concerned, things like race, gender, age and sexuality were not choices, they just were. So having bigots put people down for these reasons filled her with anger. She had always had some taste of this with being a female detective but since she had discovered her true feelings for Maura, she felt more strongly about it. They contacted the President of the Sons and Daughters of Adam and had him some to the station to assist with their enquiries. He arrived later that day looking relaxed and whistled as he entered the squad room but stopped abruptly at the look on Jane's face.

"Sons and Daughters of Adam," Jane said as she slid the leaflet she had taken from the owner of the club, "That's your catch phrase, isn't it?"

"I'm offended to see sacred words associated with pornography." He said turning his head but Jane noticed that his eyes remained fixed on the picture of the two women kissing. She smirked internally. She knew the type. If she checked his browsing history or credit card history she was sure she would find a few 'questionable' purchases or downloads.

"How about associated with murder?" Frost asked.

"I think it's interesting that they sent a female and an African American to interview me about a homosexual murder." He smirked.

"You don't like women or African Americans either?" Frost asked.

"Well I have a right to my opinion." He said.

Jane wanted to hit him. "Only if you don't enforce it with a two by four." Jane replied.

Frost, sensing danger in her voice, said, "We're gonna need to see a list of your members."

"Oh surely." He pulled out a very thick book, "I came prepared."

Jane looked appalled. "Those are _all_ members?" Frost asked.

"We're national." He replied with pride. At Jane's look he continued with, "Satan is using homosexuals to destroy the Kingdom of God."

Oh please, Jane thought to herself but turned to Frost and said, "Be on the look out for a man in a red cape with a tail and pointy ears." Her voice dripped with sarcasm and Frost had to hide his smirk.

"I will pray for you." He told them.

"No thank you. I'll do it myself." She couldn't stand the thought that the God she prayed to was the same God this bigot prayed to. They got rid of him fairly quickly after that and an hour or so later Maura text Jane to remind her of the time and place for their double date that night. As she made her way to the table where Maura, Brock and Jorge were sat, she fidgeted in her dress. Maura looked gorgeous and she was late. As she apologised to everyone, she purposefully kept her gaze on Jorge, especially as the evening wore on and Brock was all over Maura. So when Jorge asked if anyone wanted coffees or deserts she took her opportunity to start to make her exit.

"Actually it's getting kind of late." She smiled.

"You know I think I need to use the ladies room. Jane will you join me?" She asked.

"No I don't need to go." Jane smiled politely.

"Mm hmm." Maura said as she moved to lean down to speak into her ear. "I think you do."

"I need to go to the ladies room. Excuse me." Jane said, super sweetly.

She stood up and followed Maura only to almost walk into Maura once they were out of sight. "Oh!" She exclaimed, slapping her hand over her mouth to stifle the sound.

"Sshh!" Maura whispered.

"I thought you needed to go to the restroom." Jane whispered back, laughing slightly.

"No, that was a ruse. Well, do you like him?" She asks quickly, getting straight to the point.

Jane leans back slightly so she can see Jorge again, mainly to give her time to think. When she leans back she makes up her mind. "He's sexy." She smiles.

"Hm mm, yeah." Maura agrees. "I think you should take him home."

"Maura!"

"What? You said he was sexy." She reasoned.

"Well just 'cause I like the way he looks in yoga class doesn't mean I'm gonna like the way he looks in my bed."

"Right." Maura agreed. She needed to know if Jane would consider another man so she went back to science. "But did you know that sex releases immunglobulin A? It wards off colds." She smiles happily. Jane smiles back and despite both their best efforts they imagined the other in their beds rather than their current dates.

"No." Jane shook her head, trying to clear her head of the sudden image of Maura laying beneath her, looking flushed. "Not tonight ... And I didn't shave my legs."

"Ah." Maura says and pulls out a little shaving kit. "Nice try." She smiles at Jane. Her head was now filled of images of Jane in the bath slowly pulled the razor down her slick leg. She pulls herself together in time to hear Jane reply.

"What kind of person are you?" They both laughed, Maura got Jane to quickly shave her legs and they each left with their dates. Once she was alone with Brock, she came up with some excuse and went home to worry about what was happening with Jane and Jorge. The next morning, she was still worrying as she met Jane outside the station.

"Really?" Jane asked loudly.

"That bad?" Maura asked, grinning internally. It had gone badly, did that mean she just didn't like Jorge? The previous evening she had seen the frustrated looks that she had been throwing her as she had canoodled with Brock but was it jealousy.

"I had always thought you couldn't lie, Princess." Jane asked heatedly.

"What do you mean? I can't." Maura defended.

"You did!" Came Jane's retort.

"Only one time when I said I'd finished my homework and I hadn't and I immediately went vasovagal but that was before I met you."

"Jorge's in medicine?" Jane asked, sardonically.

Ah, now Maura understood. "Technically, yes, he is."

"What's his speciality? Lactation?"

"Orthopaedics ..." She defended then paused. Why was she defending Jorge? "Joe Grant was a detective, he was sexy and he was the perfect man for you."

"Well I kinda liked him." She lied, not for the first time being grateful that she could lie even if Maura couldn't.

"Yeah well you butted heads with him until he moved to Washington." She reminded her.

Jane grimaced, "So you set me up with Nurse Jorge?"

"Well I ..." She started, she did hook her up with him but only because she wanted to see her reaction when she herself was on a date. "I just ... yes." She giggled at the absurdity.

"It's not funny." She said and opened the door for Maura to enter ahead of her. "He wants to be a stay at home Dad. We've just met and he's already planning out kids ... no, not happening."

Maura understood where she was coming from with this so she changes the subject.

"Lunch today?" She asks, "We could try that new Thai place."

"Sure Maur." She grinned. They parted at the elevator and Jane made her way up to the squad room.

"Hey." She said to Frost. "Anything come up on those background checks?"

"Still waiting on that bouncer from the club. No red flags on anybody here." He replied pointing at the list of members from the Sons and Daughters of Adam. She felt a twinge of disappointment at this but this was quickly overridden with annoyance with the arrival of Korsak and what he was carrying. "Somebody's got a boyfriend." He smirked in a sing song voice.

"Somebody should mind his own business." She sing songed back. Korsak grabbed the card from the flowers and Jane tried to make a grab for it. "Wait! No!"

Korsak didn't open the card but put it to his forehead like he was a psychic and said, "Your eyes are like pools of midnight."

"No." Jane laughed uncomfortably, "Come on." She said reaching once again for the card.

"What?" Frost asked grinning. "What?" He was handed the card as Korsak again avoided Jane. "Your lips are like tempur-pedic pillows!" He smirked.

"Really?" Jane frowned. "Just give ..." She reached again and missed. "Just ..." And with a final swipe managed to grab the card, she opened it and read it aloud. "Dinner Saturday, I'm already in the kitchen, Jorge." She rolled her eyes at the message.

"Sounds kinda sissy to me." Korsak grunted and Jane laughed.

"Hey guys cook." Frost defended.

"Yeah no." Korsak replied.

"It's a match." Frost said suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

"The bouncer, Robert Thatcher, that's an alias. Real name is Roy Tompkins." Jane had moved to view Frost's screen.

"So that's why he lied. Look at that. Outstanding warrant, New York City ... for criminal assault. Come on." She smiled at Frost. As they start talking to the bouncer, he tries to run but Frost disables him and they get him back to the station for interrogation. Jane gets a text from Maura saying 'I'm in the observation room. It's important I speak to you.' She left the interrogation straight away.

"What is so important?" She asked as she walked into the room.

"Jorge dropped off lunch for you." She smiled holding up the basket she was carrying. Jane didn't answer, instead she glared at Maura before turning on her heel and started to walk out of the room. "That's not why I interrupted you." Maura said quickly. Jane turned back to face Maura and looked at her expectantly. "I extracted the killer's DNA from the murder weapon."

"Who is he?" Jane asked, excitement coursing through her as it always did when she was close to catching a killer.

"Well, there was no match in CODIS but it's not a he. It's a she."

Jane blinked. "The killer is a woman."

Maura nodded. "I have a full report downstairs, you up for a walk?" She asked. Jane nodded and they headed down to the morgue. Jane filled Maura in on the bouncer and then they arrived at the morgue. "The deerskin fibres I lifted from the murder weapon ..." Maura started.

"Were from the killer's gloves." Jane finished. Maura nodded in agreement. "Seams were breached and the DNA tests confirmed that the sweat was from a female."

"We already know that, and a male accomplice raped her." Jane filled in the blanks.

"No. Injuries are consistent with a non biological phallus-shaped object." Maura advised. Jane looked at the lab tech uncomfortably before replying under her breath. "You mean a dildo?"

Maura paused, fighting the urge to laugh at Jane's expression. "Yes I believe that is the popular term for it." Maura agreed. "But did you know that a 28,000 year old stone phallus was recently found in a German cave? The Ice Age men were using it for knapping flints."

"Yeah, Ice Age women were using it for making sparks too." Jane said without realising she was speaking out loud. Maura giggled and Jane turned slightly red before refocusing on the case. The thoughts of dildo's around Maura was very distracting. "Ok so if she wasn't raped it was probably not a hate crime. It wasn't a robbery." She thought out loud. "I'm beginning to think this was personal." She smiled grimly at Maura. "Come on, let's go check in with the guys. Maybe they've found something." When they got to the squad room, Korsak told her a delivery guy had been with a gift basket for her. Jorge had sent her a chocolate and flowers gift set. She rolled her eyes and went to file Maura's report.

"I wonder if Jorge read the CHUMP study." Maura pondered aloud.

"CHUMP study, he probably wrote it." Jane replied.

"Chocolate Happiness Undergoing More Pleasantness study, yeah it actually concluded chocolate makes us happier." She smiled at Jane.

"Chocolate from Jorge makes me sadder." Came the disgruntled response.

"Mmm flowers." Maura said, smelling the flowers before her. "Flowers have been shown to reduce depression. Come on Jane, Jorge's a catch."

"If you don't want them, can I have them?" Korsak asked, eagerly.

"Jorge? Yeah he's all yours." Korsak walked off in a huff. "Maybe if I get fat he'll stop calling."

Maura frowned slightly, squirting moisturiser in her hands. "I just think if you allow him to see all sides of you, he'll stop calling." Maura said without realising she had insulted her friend. All three of the Detectives looked at Maura as she finished, a little shocked. Maura looked up and frowned before realising what she had said. "You know what? I just heard what that sounded like, and that is ... what I meant to say was that human beings have good and bad traits, you know?" She stuttered, she had only meant that he would realise that Jane didn't like him and their interests weren't shared, not that he wouldn't like what he saw. "And you have, you know, some characteristics that are a little ... not as ... as umm ... wow, fudge clusters." She changed the topic and picked up the little bag, she knew she'd show her true feelings if she finished what she was trying to say.

Frost cleared his throat in amusement. "Katie was deleting her browsing history on her computer."

"Why? What was she hiding?" Jane asked, at Frosts shrug she continued. "Have we checked the wife's alibi?"

"It's solid. Tracked all her calls to ER, 911. Alarm company confirmed she activated her home alarm at 10:03 PM, didn't break the circuit again till 6:17 AM."

"She didn't do it?" Korsak said.

"How do you know?" Jane asked.

"Got Mel's scorecard from the night of the murder. She's a hell of a bowler. She had a turkey."

"Well, why would she do that?" Maura asked, confused.

"That's three strikes in a row, Maura." Jane patiently explained.

"Wish I could get her for our team, but you gotta be divorced."

"Can you try to restore all that history that deleted?" Jane asked, her attention back on Frost.

"Let's give it a shot." He smiled, picking up the laptop and heading towards the coms room. Jane followed but then turned around to watch what she knew would happen. Maura reached for the fudge clusters and, smiling happily, she started to walk away towards the morgue.

Jane cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows at Maura with a smirk and followed Frost, just catching Maura's comment of "Really delicious."


	26. Chapter 26 - Profiles & Personal Shopper

A.N. Hey guys, I just wanted to drop a quick note to address one of the anonymous reviews I got for the last chapter. I understand that there is a LOT of dialogue from the show in these few chapters (trust me I had to spend hours making sure I got it right lol) but this episode is so rich in Rizzles and I made it a key point in the story (as I hope will become apparent) and there might be another ep or two with a lot of dialogue from it too. I don't particularly enjoy writing the shows dialogue word for word because I prefer to write in my words as you can tell by me just mentioning episodes that don't need to really be given in any great detail. I hope that you can give me a little leeway on this as I know that there probably could have been scenes that I cut entirely but I liked looking at them from the point of view of the characters with these backgrounds. I hope you'll agree it pays off in the end. If not, thanks for reading and give me the courtesy of being able to reply to you in person by logging in before you review.

I'm sorry guys, this rant is not meant for 99.9% of you ;) Please read on and I hope you enjoy the chapter

_Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes - Henry David Thoreau_

Chapter Twenty Six - Profiles and Personal Shoppers

Some time later, Frost had managed to pull up the history of Katie's laptop and they saw all the online dating websites that she went on and her profile. Frost and Korsak then tried to get Jane to go undercover as she matched the victim's looks. Jane instantly and vehemently said no to this idea. The only woman she was interested in was Maura. What she didn't know is that Korsak and Frost did not have any scruples in joining Jane up anyway. About an hour later they met Maura in the cafe after telling her they needed her help.

"What can I do for you gentlemen?" She smiled and sat herself down opposite Frost.

"We need Jane to go undercover as a lesbian to draw out our killer. She's refusing to do it at the moment, but she knows it's our best shot." Frost told her.

"Ok." Maura replied slowly. "So how can I help you?"

"You're her best friend Doc." Korsak said, "We need help filling out her profile and the only pictures we have of her is the police HR photo."

Maura grimaced. "That isn't the most flattering." She conceded. "Does Jane know you're both doing this?" She asked shrewdly.

"No not really." Frost replied sheepishly.

Maura glanced at them both. "Ok I'll help but I'll tell Jane myself tonight."

Both Frost and Korsak looked immensely relieved at this. Maura emailed herself some of the pictures she had of Jane to her email address and added them to the profile Frost had already started, 'Celticgirl101'.

"I think she would have preferred a profile under a Red Sox name." Maura muttered as she looked over some of the questions. She frowned, "Why do they do this?" She asked. "These categories are such stereotypes: Femme, boy next door, sporty or fine." She laughed.

"Jane's definitely fine." Korsak said, he looked at Maura and Frost's amused looks before continuing with. "I'm just saying for the purposes of the ad, you know, to draw the best response."

"Yeah right." Frost smirked.

Maura laughed, she loved the banter between Frost and Korsak. She didn't always understand but even when she didn't have Jane to translate, they still treated her the same. "Ok, I just have to check a box so: Femme, butch, lipstick, chapstick, sporty?" She questioned.

"I've seen her break a chair over the head of a meth crazed gangbanger." Frost replied.

"So ... butch?" Maura asked.

"Yeah, I mean ..." Frost mimed swinging a chair through the air. "She took him out!"

They all laughed but Maura couldn't do that to Jane. "No, no, no, no. She, no, no! She is my best friend. I'm not putting butch. She's ..." Here Maura faltered. What was Jane? She was beautiful, smart, kind, stubborn, clumsy, loyal. The list could go on. She cleared her mind of this. "I'm putting sporty."

"Just check what the victim checked, huh?" Korsak suggested.

"Oh, ok. Let's see ... lipstick lesbian."

"I love undercover." Frost smirked.

After the day was over, Maura made her way to the squad room to speak to Jane and ask if she would like a movie night.

"Hey Janey." Maura greeted as she saw Jane was the only person left working.

"Hey Maur." Jane said, turning in her seat to see her friend approach. "You're here late, everything ok?"

"As are you Jane." Maura replied, with a smile, "And yes I'm fine, would you like a movie night tonight? It's been a long time. We normally have at least one movie night a week." Maura reminded her.

Jane locked her computer and reached for her jacket as she stood up. "Sure it'll have to be at my place though. I've neglected Jo today and yesterday ... will Bass be ok?"

"Yes, he will be fine." Maura smiled. "Do you still have the ..." She started.

"Yes Princess, I still have several bottles of your fancy schmancy wine." Jane interrupted as she pushed the button to call the elevator. By the time they made it back to Jane's apartment with take out, it was just after nine o'clock. As they ate, they discussed the upcoming Christmas and the fact that Christina was coming this year with her husband.

"Were you actually invited to the wedding, I can't remember you saying you were going." Maura said.

Jane snorted, "I was invited to the evening party but not to the vows. I pulled a triple homicide that night so unfortunately I couldn't go."

"You sound so sorry about that." Maura smirked.

"Oh yes, I was devastated." Jane smirked.

"Why weren't you invited to the ceremony?" Maura asked, curiously.

"She didn't say ... well she told me it was because of numbers but Ma was talking to Auntie Julia and she only invited couples, apparently being single is wrong as it messes up her numbers." She rolled her eyes. Maura took a careful sip of wine.

"Too bad you weren't seeing Jorge at the time." She told her, carefully. "He could have gone with you."

Jane stood up and sighed, "Please! Jorge is far too 'nice' and 'supportive'." She used sarcastic air quotes. "He wants someone strong so he can be weak." She started to walk into her bedroom so Maura followed.

"Nice and supportive doesn't mean weak." Came Maura's reply.

"Please. Jorge is more submissive than my dog." She snorted and she leant down to stroke Jo Friday. "Aww, yes he is. Aww" They both sat down on the bed. Jane lay back and said. "Maybe I should be a lesbian." The minute the words escaped her lips, she panicked but this panic was instantly squashed by Maura's next words.

"Aww, well wishes can come true." Maura cooed at Jo, completely missing the dreamy look that briefly crossed Jane's face and then she continued with, "Frost and Korsak wanted to fill in your dating profile. I typed." She said happily.

"You what?" She asked, her thoughts being abruptly changed from pleasant ones where she and Maura were together to suddenly realising that they had gone along with the undercover plan after all.

"If it weren't for me, you'd be butch." She defended with a small laugh at the slightly horrified expression on Jane's face.

"You ... you put my photo and profile on a gay dating website?" Jane asked, incredulously.

"They were the great photo's from the Rizzoli picnic last summer and besides it's your best shot at getting DNA and breaking this case." Maura sighed as she retrieved Jane's laptop and logged on to the dating website. She took a second to register the fact that she knew that Jane's password was 'believe1/2' before Jane's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"No it's _our_ best shot. You're going with me." Jane shot back at Maura.

"No." Maura said, surprised. Why would she be going undercover with Jane? She hadn't done undercover work before.

"Yes Dr Isles! Wh ... uh I don't have time to train a female detective how to collect and preserve DNA. You're going."

They stared each other down for a few seconds until Maura caved. She knew Jane was right about this so she refocused her attention to the laptop in front of her. "There, look. All those women think you're hot."

"Wow." Jane said as she looked at the responses online.

"Mm hm."

"You realise one of these women could be Katie's killer." Jane reminded her.

"Not this one. Listen, she likes to hike, has season tickets to the Celtics." Maura read out. Then she stopped herself. Why was she trying to actually set Jane up with another woman?

"Front row." Jane read out, "Oh I might flip for that." She glanced at Maura and saw a slight frown on her face.

"But I ..." She stopped here and Jane smiled for a second before Maura turned to face her again. The fact that they both knew that Maura had offered, on numerous occasions, to buy her season tickets for the Red Sox _and _the Celtics was on both their minds. Jane would flip for that? It was as close as a hint that she had ever given, as veiled as it was. "I don't understand online dating, people reveal too much about themselves." She looked at something another woman had written and read it out, "'I wanna connect with someone who can make me more of who I am'."

"'Who can be strong without needing me to be weak'." Jane rolled her eyes and they both laughed at how similar that statement was to the one she had made about Jorge earlier.

"I wonder what kind of women we would like if we liked women?" She pondered. It wasn't a lie as such, she just omitted that the only woman she did like was Jane not _women_ in general.

"What?" Jane asked, "Well, first of all I would be the guy."

"That's a cliché. Why would you be the guy?"

"Because." Jane told her.

"Because you're bossy?" Maura asked,

"So are you!" Came the outraged reply.

"No, I'm not." Maura defended.

"Yes you are. You're just soft and polite when bossing people around." Jane's eyes twinkled as she said this, taking the sting out of her words.

"Well it's a good thing you're not my type." This was also perfectly true. Her 'type' was male, Jane was an exception.

"What do you mean, I'm not your type? That is so rude."

"Well you don't know how to relax." Maura stated. Jane gestured to herself lying down on the bed, relaxing as if to prove her wrong. "And you wear your shoes and your clothes to bed and you just admitted that you're bossy.

"Ok yeah, I'm bossy. Right." Jane loved this teasing side to Maura, so she gave it right back. "You put my picture on a gay dating website and I'm bossy? Right, ok. After I said no, by the way ... what are you doing?" She asked as Maura closed her eyes.

"Meditating. It's too stressful to argue with you." She smirked to herself.

"Well, just think. Because of you, by this time tomorrow I could be on a date with a killer." They both giggled as Jane continued with "Yaaay!"

Maura lay quietly as Jane reached over to pull her into her embrace. They easily moved to their usual sleeping positions and before either of them knew it, they were fast asleep. Jo Friday woke them both up the next day, barking.

"It's ok buddy, it's just me." Maura sighed sleepily and smiled as Jo jumped off the bed. She felt Jane move behind her and Jane groaned as the sunlight hit her face.

"Why am I still dressed?" She asked. She knew Maura joked about her sleeping in her clothes the night before but it wasn't something that happened very often.

"I guess we fell asleep while I was meditating. When did you start kicking in your sleep?" Maura asked. It had been a few months since they slept in the same bed.

"No, no, no, that's not me. That was Jo, she runs in her sleep." Jane yawned as they both sat up.

"Myoclonic contractions, dogs have dog dreams." Maura nodded, grabbed Jane's laptop and started to log on. "Well, maybe we should take a look and see if anybody else signed up to hook into you."

"That's not how you say it. It's hook _up_ with you." Jane corrected fondly.

Maura thought about that for a moment before she replied with, "Whatever."

"Whatever?" Jane repeated, amused. This wasn't the reasoned debate that she usually expected from Maura. "I'm the one hooking up."

"Well pretending to." Maura corrected this time.

"That's easy for you to say ... I can't believe I'm actually hoping that the killer wants to meet me." She shook her head and accepted the laptop as Maura handed it to her. She looked at the large amounts of emails she had received from Jorge and groaned. "God he's so nice!" Jane cursed as she playfully punched Maura's shoulder.

Maura laughed, "Maybe that's what you need. You need somebody loving and supportive." Maura laughed, all the while thinking 'someone like me'.

"Like a hamster?" Came Jane's sarcastic reply causing Maura to laugh harder.

"Jane." She said in chastisement.

"What? Well I mean ... you ... what you think of as a great guy is an average woman, you know if I just wanted someone to walk the dog with me and talk about my feelings, I'd be gay."

"You're not gonna say that to him, are you?" She was a little concerned that Jane might be a little too blunt in her let down of Jorge.

"I will if you don't." Jane told her and at the look on Maura's face she continued with. "You got me into this so get me out of it please."

Maura ignored her and turned to open the other half of the wardrobe that she had been perusing.

"Uh oh." She muttered upon seeing the lack of clothes in there.

"What?" Jane asked.

"Now I understand why you still look like this."

"Excuse me?"

"You have nothing to wear." Maura said, looking at the mostly black, navy and grey clothing. "I'm going to have to take you shopping."

"Maura ..."

"No Janey, I've never done it in the past but that's it now."

"Maura I _really_ hate shopping."

"Oh alright, I'll have Marco get you some things."

Marco was Maura's personal shopper. Whenever she needed her wardrobe updating and didn't have time or she needed a gift for someone she didn't have a clue what to get them, she would call Marco.

"Oh come on Princess, I don't need ..."

"Janey, I can see three suits that are two sizes too big and at least one shirt with holes in it. Don't worry, it'll all be your style and there will be minimal amount of colour."

"I like colour." Jane grumbled, "I just don't like flowery patterny things."

"I know." Maura sighed. Jane definitely was a block colour kind of girl. "I'll have Marco deliver the clothes to me and I'll bring them here when I get them."

Jane just nodded, knowing better than to argue with her friend when she had set her mind to something. Later that day, Marco had dropped of a choice of dresses he told her Jane should wear for her date as Maura had told him about it when she called. There were three but Maura smirked when she saw one of them.

It was flowery.

She decided to tease Jane a little, make her think her whole wardrobe was going to be made up of things like this. She made her way to the squad room and showed Jane the dress, leaving the other two in her office.

"This is completely appropriate."

"No, no it's perfect." Jane said, Maura was waiting for the sarcastic reply and wasn't disappointed. "Where exactly am I going to hide the camera and the wire? I know! In my thong."

Frost and Korsak sniggered.

"Well maybe you could wear a brief?" She suggested feebly.

"No."

"Mark Twain said: 'The clothes make the man'." Maura quoted.

"He also said: 'Naked people have little to no influence'." Korsak spoke up.

"This is very serious." Maura told them.

"Maura, come on. It'll be fine, alright? We're trained professionals, we know what we're doing. We've actually been undercover a few times before, I told you about them remember? So, um, let me handle this."

"Ok, it's fine. You don't want my help. It's like trying to dress a squirmy six year old anyway. Everything is too short, too itchy. I can't walk in that." Maura ranted.

"That was one time Maura, you know I hated buying a dress for that Fairfield thing." Jane ranted back and then took a deep breath. "Maura, we all love the fact that you dress like you're about to strut down a Paris runway. It's ... It's ..." Jane faltered with what she wanted to say. She wanted to say adorable but knew Frost and Korsak would torment her for days.

"It's endearing." Frost interrupted Jane's stuttering.

"Sexy." Korsak added. Jane, Frost and Maura all looked at him. Jane wanted to tell him to keep his eyes to himself and stop looking at her like that but she forced her knee jerk reaction down and turned back to face the woman she loved who was now looking at her with hurt in her eyes.

"It's uh, it's ... it's fashionable."

"Oh, so that's what you think? You think this is all about fashion for me?" Maura asked.

Jane didn't know what to say, as far as she was concerned, Maura had always used fashion as a way to connect with her mother and then used that as a way to mask some of what she saw as 'social inadequacies'. She couldn't say that with Korsak and Frost around, but now she thought about it she didn't really know why fashion was so important to Maura. It was one of the rare few subjects that had just never come up between up.

"Uh ... this is gonna be good ... um no? It's not about fashion?" Jane knew she was being a jerk to her friend right now, but that dress had been hideous.

"No it's not."

"What is it about then?" She asked, this time genuinely interested but trying not to show it.

"I used to sit at the Musee d'Orsay for hours and just stare at it ... do you know what I mean?" She asked brightly.

"Yes, the Rizzoli family vacations there every summer, remember?" She asked dryly.

Maura frowned as she remembered that Jane had never been to France. "Have you ever tried to appreciate Euler's number E? You know, the beautiful equation that connects three constants of mathematics? Have you?"

"Yeah I tried it once." Jane said and Frost and Korsak laughed but Jane saw the look on Maura's face so she softened her comment with, "Maur, you know I didn't like math." Jane reminded her.

"I am in awe of what human beings can do. I am in awe of the hand knit channel stitching on this sweater. I am in awe of the artisan who moulded and shaped this shoe."

Jane's heart swelled as she looked at Maura. She was so ... innocent despite of the field she worked in and the horrors she saw on a daily basis.

"I cannot wait to see what you're gonna wear." She squealed in a fake girly voice to distract herself from the smile she wanted to give her friend.

Maura sighed and picked up the dress. Jane walked with her to the elevator and seeing they were alone Maura said, "But mostly I'm in awe of the little girl with a big heart who befriended a nerdy little girl in a park."

Jane smiled at her and placed her hand on Maura's arm. "I'm just in awe of _you_ and I always have been." That moment saw the elevator arrive and Jane strolled back into the squad room with Maura smiling after her.


	27. Chapter 27 - Undercover

A.N. Hey guys here's the next chapter for you and this marks the end of the I Kissed a Girl episode Enjoy!

_Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth._

Chapter Twenty Seven - Undercover

That evening everyone arrived at the club and as Maura was getting changed, the owner hit on Jane, telling her if she ever felt adventurous then she would be there. Jane smirked, knowing the only person she would ever be 'adventurous' with was Maura. Jane left before the club opened to return a little whilst later so she didn't see Maura emerge in her waitress outfit.

Maura saw Jane arrive out of the corner of her eye and turned to face the bar, knowing Kane would get a full view of her legs. She turned to face her and smiled saucily. "Your table's ready Miss." She purred, knowing she could get away with full on flirting in this place.

"Oh my God." Jane groaned, her eyes greedily travelling over Maura's body before starting to take off her jacket to give it to Maura. She didn't want anyone to see that much of Maura, "Put this on."

"No, I'm undercover." She winked. "Follow me." She said as she moved past Jane, brushing against her slightly and headed off towards the table that had been reserved for Jane with a little more sway in her hips than normal. Jane's mind was full of images of Maura in that outfit but somewhere much more private where she would have the time to take it off piece by ... NO! She shook herself mentally, she had no idea how she was going to keep focused on the undercover op with Maura hanging around dressed (or not dressed) like that.

She let out her frustrations with a quick "Oh my God!" As she followed Maura and then sat down at her table.

"I'll be right back with your drink." Maura smiled at her and left with a wink.

"Hm mm thank you."

Jane's first date was a no go. She could tell right away that this girl wasn't a killer. A lot strange but generally good hearted. Luckily for Jane, Maura interrupted when she asked how she 'came out'.

"Ladies, may I get you something to drink?" She asked, leaning down and over Jane. Her breasts right in front of Jane face and in her eye line. Maura could see her staring at them out of the corner of her eye. Jane shook herself and returned her attention to her 'date'.

"No we're good."

"Can I take that for you?" Maura asked the 'date' and took her glass for the DNA, being sure to press closer to Jane.

The 'dates' got steadily worse in Jane's opinion and as her last date left she put the woman's number on the growing pile on Maura's tray before groaning in frustration. It was then that a woman called Claire sat down next to Jane and they started talking about the murder. She implicated herself and from what she was saying, Jane was convinced she was their murderer, but the results showed that none of the women were a match to the female DNA but they found out the money the wife was due to get.

"You know, Katie was very careful about controlling her diabetes." Maura said as she watched Jane load her coffee with sugar. "I counted nearly one hundred needle sticks. So it doesn't make sense that she wouldn't know she needed insulin."

"Maybe she did, was the pump working?" Jane asked.

"It was so compromised I can't tell."

"What if ..." Jane started but Maura interrupted her.

"I don't like sentences that begin with 'what if'." She mused.

"Let's assume ..." Jane tried again.

Maura frowned, "Why is that better?"

"That Katie tested herself," Jane continued on, "Her numbers were high, she gave herself some insulin ..."

"Or what she thought was insulin." Frost said.

"No because I tested the residue in the pump. Pure insulin. Her tox screen came back negative. There are no signs of poisons in Katie's body." Maura informed them.

"Unless there's something that couldn't be detected in her bloodstream." Jane said.

"If somebody put something in the pump ..." Frost stated to say.

"There should be finger prints on it." Jane finished. Jane and Maura quickly went down to the lab and had one of the techs check for prints.

"It's clean." Jane said before wondering aloud, "Why aren't Katie's prints on it at least?"

"Somebody might have attached it to her body and wiped it clean." Maura told her.

"That's good." Jane replied, excitedly.

"I'm just guessing." Maura said.

"Alright so Katie's regular insulin pump was switched to one full of poison. She thinks she's giving herself insulin. She's actually killing herself." Jane theorised.

"Who had access to Katie?" Maura asked.

"Mel, the wife, who was at home when Katie was being beaten."

"She had an accomplice."

"Hm mm." Jane agreed.

"Smart killer, because it's impossible to prove without evidence." Maura pointed out.

"Which we don't have ... yet!"

Jane went back to the club and spoke with the owner again to try and get any more information. It was then that she saw the deerskin gloves she was using. She pretended to be interested in her and the owner kissed Jane's neck. Jane smirked, that would be all she needed. She hurried back to the lab and sat next to Maura and pulled her hair away from her neck.

"I need you to swab my neck for DNA please." She said, with a cheshire cat grin.

"I'm not even going to ask why." Maura replied before doing as she was asked.

The DNA proved that the bar owner was the accomplice and after convincing her to wear a wire, they recorded the wife admitting to changing the insulin pumps. As they arrest Mel, Jane turned to the bar owner and tells her that this is as adventurous as she gets, all the time thinking she would love to get 'adventurous' with Maura. The next day, Maura convinces Jane to go back to yoga and as she's unrolling her mat she see's Jorge walk in.

"Crap! Maura! Maura!" She hisses and then looks up to see Jorge stood in front of her.

"Hey." He greeted.

"Hey." She returned.

"Look, I just wanna say that I support your choice Jane." He told her, confusing her a little bit.

"Ok, thank you and thank you for the flowers and the chocolate's and the lunch ... and the car battery, even though mine was fine."

"Sure, you're welcome." He replied, missing the veiled sarcasm in Jane's voice. "Glad we live in a state where women like you can get married if that's what you want." He smiled.

"Ok," Jane said and he walked to his own mat. Jane turned her gaze on Maura who was busy trying not to laugh. "You told him I was gay?" She hissed.

"No. He assumed, it's different." She said.

Brock started the session. Jane couldn't help continuing the whispered conversation. "He assumed?"

"Just close your eyes and breathe." Maura giggled.

"You better hope this calms me down." Jane said.

"I could always tell him you like him." Maura offered.

"Don't you dare!" Jane said, pushing Maura.

"What? I'm just saying." She giggled and pushed Jane back.

Jane pushed her again, "I'm sorry." She offered to Brock who was looking at her disapprovingly, but they continued to push each other playfully until they were shh'd again.

The next day was a Saturday and Maura had stayed over at Jane's after another movie night. It was 08:30 when Maura's phone rang. She reached over and answered it as Jane grumpily pulled her closer.

"Hello? ... Marco! Come sta?" She asked. "Si, si." Maura replied and then chatted away in rapid Italian. "Si, grazie ... ciao" She hung up the phone and turned to face Jane with a wide smile. "Marco has your clothes ready for delivering. I've told him to bring them here."

Jane groaned and buried her face in Maura's neck. "Do I have to try them on?" She asked.

Maura was about to tell her that of course she had to try them on when her voice caught in her throat as she realised Jane's lips were resting on her pulse point. "No." She whispered, closing her eyes to try and imprint this moment to her mind.

"Good." Jane mumbled and squeezed Maura impossibly closer.

Jane didn't tell Maura but she actually really loved the clothes that Marco had picked out for her and wore them more often than the clothes she had picked out for herself. Maura knew that Jane loved the clothes without being told because she noticed that Jane wore them all the time but she never asked if she did like them.


	28. Chapter 28 - Not A Creature Was Stirring

A.N. Sorry about the delay guys, here's the next chapter.

_Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.__ - Buddha_

Chapter Twenty Eight - Not a Creature is Stirring

At the beginning of December, Maura found a house that she loved. She begged Jane to come and view the property with her. Jane reluctantly agreed. She knew she would only be imagining herself living there with Maura again if she helped pick the place but she was still incapable of saying no to her.

She did agree that the house was fantastic though. It had the guest house that Maura wanted for her Mother and a courtyard that had lots of different coloured rose bushes. The house itself had three large bedrooms and two and a half bath rooms. It had a large open plan room downstairs that had the living room, kitchen and dining area. There was a laundry room off the kitchen and a large room that Maura was going to use as a home office near the front door. Jane had to admit that the house was stunning, even as the completely bare shell she saw. A week later, Maura had sent in the decorators and the place was ready to be moved into.

Jane got Frankie, Korsak and Frost to help with the heavy lifting and Angela made them all dinner in Maura's new kitchen, all the while exclaiming about how fantastic the appliances were and how much space there was. When the guys left that evening, they had all the furniture moved in and Maura had started on her clothes. It was well past midnight when Jane dragged her away from organising her wardrobe to go to bed.

"I'm so glad we're not working tomorrow." Jane yawned as she slipped into her side of the bed and turned to face Maura. "You have far too much stuff Princess."

"I did say I'd be happy to hire movers but you insisted and then coerced Frankie, Frost and Korsak into helping." Maura replied as she too got into bed.

Jane smiled and closed her eyes. "I'm just teasing Maur."

"I know." Maura said. She took a few minutes to study Jane's face and then leaned back to turn the bedside light off. "Goodnight Janey." She sighed as Jane reached to pull her closer.

"Night Princess."

A few days before Christmas, Jane was sat at her desk in the squad room when her phone rang. She didn't recognise the number so she picked it up.

"Rizzoli." She answered as she leant back in her chair.

"Jane? Hi it's Christina."

Jane paused. She hadn't heard from her cousin since she had pulled out of going to her evening party for her wedding. "Hey how are you?" She asked, speaking carefully, trying to judge where this conversation was going.

"I'm great. I wanted to call to give you the news." Christina almost simpered. Jane knew what was coming but the sound of heels clipping over the floors towards her distracted her from her annoyance long enough for her to look around a smile at Maura, who was carrying her bag and a case file.

"Oh yeah? Hang on a sec." She told Christina and then looked questioningly at Maura who handed her the case file. She covered her mic, knowing that it wouldn't stop the sound completely but would dull it. "The Henderson case?" She asked quietly.

"Yes, the autopsy conclusively showed he died from a blow to the head." Maura advised.

Jane smirked, "I believe I did tell you that the golf club lying by him, covered in his blood and the gaping wound on his skull might have had something to do with his death." She teased.

"It was a reddish brown substance at the time, Jane, and you know I don't jump to conclusions. It might have been blood but how did I know that it was one hundred percent his blood?"

"Riiiight." Jane drawled.

Maura huffed. "Lunch?" She asked.

"Sure one minute." She said and uncovered the mic. "Sorry Christina, your big news?" She said and she saw Maura's eyebrows rise at the name of the person she saw speaking to.

"Who was that?" She asked sharply.

This time it was Jane's eyebrows that rose. "It was Maura." She said simply looking up at her friend.

"What is she doing there?" Christina spat.

Jane was starting to get annoyed now. "She works here."

"I thought she was some sort of doctor, not a detective."

"She is a doctor, she's the Chief Medical Examiner." Jane told her, unable to stop the pride of her friend's achievements seeping into her voice.

"That is not a real doctor, they don't ..."

Jane cut her cousin off. "Maura is extremely successful, why don't you just tell me your news so I can say I'm happy for you and you can tell our Ma's that you did the good cousin bit and told me your news in person."

There was a pause. "I'm pregnant. It's a girl. I'm due in April."

"Congratulations. I'm sure she'll be adorable. Pass on my best to Paul." Jane replied, automatically.

"Thank you. I'll see you at Christmas." And with that Christina hung up and Jane dropped her head to the desk.

Maura sat down in the chair next to Jane and ran her hand through Jane's hair. "Are you alright?" She asked quietly.

"Christina's pregnant." Jane said, her voice a little mumbled.

"Yes but why did she ask about me?" She asked.

Jane sat up, taking Maura's hand in hers. "I have no idea. You know Christina. If it's not me she's angry with, it's you. Has been that way since she first met you." Jane sighed.

"I thought she would be better now. Granted I haven't seen or heard from her in a decade."

"She's been better than she was when we were kids but she's still a co ..." Jane started but at Maura's glare she changed her words. "... a ... not very nice person." She finished lamely.

"Well I have to admit that I had thought she would have been pregnant last year, right after her wedding." Maura mused.

"Aunt Julia told Ma that Paul had insisted on waiting a year after they were married before they tried for kids." Jane told her.

"She didn't wait long then, did she?" Maura said thoughtfully. "Anyway I'm hungry and I'm sure you are too. How about we go to the diner?"

"Maura Isles suggesting we eat at a greasy spoon? What is the world coming to?" She joked as she stood up and grabbed her jacket.

"I am merely craving some curly fries." Maura told her as she followed, "I do intend on having my usual salad with them."

"Wow Maur. Salad makes the curly fries _so_ much healthier." Jane rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"Healthier than the burger you will no doubt be getting with yours." Maura replied.

They bickered all the way to lunch and all the way back to the precinct.

Christmas Eve saw Maura receiving a call from her mother.

"Hello mother." Maura answered her phone as she saw her mother's number flash up on the screen. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Maura dear. How is your new house?" She asked.

Maura happily told her about the colour scheme and the decorations not to mention the fact that the guest house was now all finished and all the furniture had been moved in. Unknowingly, Maura mentioned all the choices that Jane had somehow managed to make about the house and Constance had high hopes that maybe Jane and Maura had finally admitted their feelings to each other.

"So how is Jane?" She asked after Maura had finished telling her that she was also buying a new car and was going for a hybrid this time.

"Jane's great. I'm due at her apartment this evening and then we'll head to the Rizzoli's for Christmas Day." Maura replied brightly.

"Is Mrs Rizzoli cooking again?" She asked.

"Yes, Angela loves to cook for the big family occasions." Maura smiled, remembering some such occasions.

"Have you thought anymore about our last discussion about Jane?" Constance probed.

"I ..." Maura started, "I have been observing her behaviour when she thinks I'm not looking and I believe you might be right but I've also come to the conclusion that I do not think that Jane will ever act on those feelings."

"Then why don't you act for her?" Constance asked.

"From my observations, I believe her reasons are that she values our friendship too much to rush it and she is also afraid of adding another reason to make her life difficult with her colleagues." Maura listed.

"That's a very neat list Maura but it's a pile of rubbish!" Constance exclaimed.

"Mother!"

"I'm sorry Maura but it's true, answer me a question ... Do you love Jane?"

"Yes." Maura replied without hesitation.

"As more than friends?" Constance prodded.

"... I can honestly say she's the only person that I've ever truly felt this way about."

"Dear, you're always honest." Constance laughed. "And do you think she feels that way about you?"

"You know I don't guess."

"Make an informed decision."

"I honestly don't know, I know she loves me as a friend and it seems she loves me romantically ... I just ..."

"It's ok to be scared about how things may turn out."

"I can't lose Jane, Mother." Maura sighed.

"So if she gets married and you don't see her anywhere near as much as you do now, _that's_ not sort of like losing her?"

"I can deal with that, if Jane found someone she loved enough for her to marry, I would be happy for her and I'd still be in her life." Maura replied, pig-headedly.

"But wouldn't you prefer to be the one marrying her and you be the one who she shares her life with?"

For a brief moment, images Maura had never allowed herself to consider flooded her mind. They were walking down an isle, both dressed in white and she could see her mother and Angela in floods of happy tears. She was lying in her bed with Jane beside her with and she had a swollen belly and Jane was talking to their unborn child as she smiled. Jane was chasing two children around the living room, catching them both in her arms and spinning them around. She and Jane were sat together, arms around each other during a Christmas holiday, watching older kids rip into their presents, joy written over their faces.

Maura blinked and the images vanished as quickly as they arrived. "Please ... please can we talk about something else? ... How's father?"

Constance took pity on her daughter and described their recent visit to Singapore to guest lecture and that they were heading to the Alps for New Year.

Later that night, after watching several Christmas movies at Jane's, they were settling down to sleep but all Maura could think about were her thoughts of what life could be like with Jane. She closed her eyes as Jane's arms wrapped around her and she allowed herself to think about the images her mind had conjured earlier that day. She knew now that she didn't want _just_ a relationship with Jane, she wanted _everything_ with Jane. Marriage, kids, a life together. She shivered at the thought that it might never happen and Jane's arms tightened around her.

"You ok?" She mumbled, half asleep.

"Yes I'm fine Janey, sleep." She whispered softly. Jane relaxed and gave into the pull of sleep and Maura joined her not long after.


End file.
